Princess to Princess: Sage Revival
by Blastos X4
Summary: The much darker story of two women of royalty from two very different, yet strangely connected worlds. Purely a Mario and Zelda crossover. Part 2 of 3. Sequel to Unlikely Allies, so please read that first. Done.
1. Midway

_Disclaimer: I do not own Nintendo's licensed characters, trademarks, etc._

**Midway **

Peach and Zelda stepped out of the portal and found themselves in a lobby of some sort. The floor was shiny and bronzed, letting them see their reflections. The walls were made of mahogany. There were two crystal chandeliers hanging from what seemed to be an inexistent ceiling of blackness. There was also a wide, white marble staircase that led to a pair of double doors.

"Is this your castle?" Peach asked, looking around.

"No," Zelda said, looking distrustful of their surroundings. "I've never seen this place before. Were we sent to the wrong place?" When they heard a rippling sound, they turned to find the portal collapsing on itself. There was a blinding light as it vanished and left a small rush of air in its wake.

"Oh, no!" Peach screamed. "Daisy! Luigi! Geno!"

"Peach, look up," Zelda said, staring opposite the staircase.

Peach turned and gasped. Two large statues of Mario and Link were standing side by side. Mario held up the V-sign with his two fingers, while Link had his sword raised. "Zelda, where are we?"

"Someone's coming!" Zelda said, hearing someone upstairs.

"Mr. Mario! Sir Link!" a voice called from upstairs. They could see the blue hood of a cloaked figure running to the stairs and then down them. "I've been waiting some time to finally meet you. Fate has carried you here to free your lands as well as your beloved…Peach and Zelda…" He came to a stop when he saw the two women standing there. "What in heaven's name are you two doing here?"

"We were hoping you could tell us," Zelda said, not trusting the blue-robed Shaman.

"I haven't the slightest idea," he said, sounding offended. "You're supposed to be locked away as a concubine in the Sacred Realm…or Dark World…whatever it is you people call it now. And Peach, you're supposed to be…well…dead."

"What?" Peach exclaimed.

"You were destined to die by the claw of Bowser," he said.

"Who are you?" Peach asked, now upset.

"And how do you know this?" Zelda added.

"Answer this first," he said. "Where are the heroes I was supposed to meet.? Where is the plucky plumber who is Peach's eternal savior? Where is the Hero of Time who is to save Zelda forevermore?"

"Link was captured by Ganondorf," Zelda said somberly. "I believe he is in the Dark World."

"I'm not sure where Mario is," Peach said softly.

"Bah!" the Shaman said. "Millennia's worth of planning…all for a botched arrival."

"Your name, please," Zelda said insistently.

"…Oracle."

"And this place?" Peach asked.

"A midway point," he said, turning back to the staircase. "Your two worlds are both crossroads. They lead to a great many different worlds…"

"What were our heroes to do here?" Zelda asked.

"Attain powers necessary to defeat evil, though it seems that idea has been tossed out the window…I suppose I'll just have to find something more suitable to you…Heaven, help us."

"You'll help us?" Peach asked.

"Princess Toadstool," he began.

"Queen Koopa, actually," she said. "Bowser…"

"Somebody is going to get fired once I have a talk with the higher-ups," he muttered. "Anyway, go up these stairs, enter, make a left, and go into the door at the end of the hall. There you will find a holy relic secured upon a pedestal. Absorb its power, through physical contact of course, and sit quietly until I arrive. DO NOTHING ELSE!"

"Okay," Peach said nervously.

"Zelda, I must personally guide you, for your power-up is at the end of a small maze. Come with me."

"Will you be all right?" Zelda asked Peach.

"I'll be fine," she said, walking up the stairs.

"Come along, Zelda," the Shaman said, opening a door at the base of the stairway. "And watch your step. It's quite dark down there."

Peach glanced at the Mario and Link statues once more before walking down the hall. There were numerous doors on the walls, each somewhat different from the others. She finally came to the white door at the end of the hall and entered. To her amazement, the room inside was nearly identical to the lobby she had been in, except that it was completely white and there were no statues. In the center of the floor, there was a pedestal with a white pillow holding a miniature statue of an angel.

"I guess that's it," she said, picking up the statue. With the weight lifted off the pedestal, it activated the rise of a stone chair from the floor. Peach sat down, but found the chair much too uncomfortable. She snatched the pillow from the pedestal and used it as a cushion after fluffing it a bit. She stared down at the statuette in her hands and concentrated. The chair began to glow and rumble as a signal that she was absorbing power. Though she could feel it herself, something felt odd about it.

* * *

Every door the Shaman had taken Zelda through always led to a dark variation of the lobby. Every time, they entered one of the ground floor doors next to the staircase. The first room was gray. The second was blackened. The third was so dark, Zelda had to hold onto the Shaman so as not to get lost. The final room was dark, but not pitch black. Zelda could see everything clearly enough. There were two statues facing the entrance this time. They were a scythe and an hourglass, which had actual sand pouring into the bottom. The rest of the room looked as if it had not been in use for decades. There were cobwebs everywhere. The floor was covered in a thick layer of slippery dust.

"Why keep anything of value in such a poorly maintained room?" Zelda asked.

"This particular room correlates with you, _Zelda_," he said, placing emphasis on her name. "Within this room, you will become one step closer to realizing your place as Sage of Time."

"I already know that I am destined to become that," she said. "But I haven't been able to unlock my power."

"That is why you are here," he said, taking her to the center of the room. "You can't become the Seventh Sage of Hyrule until the time is right, when destiny chooses for you to ascend…and probably when you find all the other Sages or something… For now, you'll gain, or rather, improve one of your powers."

"Which one?" she asked. Suddenly, a mist began to fall onto her from above. As it engulfed her, the Shaman took out a green jewel and placed it on the floor. Sparkles danced around the mist until it all subsided.

"Now, then. I want you to use your improved telekinesis to pick up that jewel."

That particular power had always been Zelda's weakest. It took so much concentration to do so little. She looked at the jewel and concentrated on it, outstretching her hand. The jewel shook on the floor, but did not move any closer.

"You seem to need quite a bit of practice," he said. "Try to focus a little less and simply will the jewel to yourself, as if an invisible arm simply grabbed it and pulled it in."

Zelda took a breath and relaxed. She imagined her soul reaching out to the jewel and touching it. It felt slippery to her, yet the jewel was at least moving around on the floor a bit instead of shaking.

"Try to get a grip on it."

She squeezed her actual hand as if it were holding the jewel and the green ball cracked, soon falling to pieces. "That's not what I intended," she frowned.

"Oh, well. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in time. Just wait for the true ascension. In the mean time, I'm sure you'll make good use of your crushing psychic hold…"

The image of Zelda using her power to strangle Ruto suddenly flashed through her mind. Zelda looked back to the statue of the scythe and sighed. "May I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Does the sentence, 'the darkness shall consume you,' mean anything to you…anything important I should keep in mind?"

The Shaman seemed to be surprised about that sentence. He thought for a moment and replied, "You have nothing to fear in the darkness. However, do not let the light blind you."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Just keep that in mind," he said. "Now, come along…before Peach gets bored and does something foolish."

* * *

Peach had been sitting in the chair for quite some time, quickly becoming bored. She had already wondered what happened her friends in Sarasaland, but decided to simply pray for the best. Then, she had wondered what her new power would be, but she could not seem to do anything new. She certainly had not sprouted wings like the angel statuette, nor did she gain a halo. She did not even know if she was supposed to still hold onto it. She looked around at the doors curiously, wondering if all of them led to lobbies like this. Just as she was about to get up, the door she had entered through opened and out came the Shaman and Zelda. Zelda's eyes did not seem to be adjusted to the sudden brightness of the room.

"I see you followed my instructions," the Shaman said, glancing at the pedestal. "…But where is the relic?"

"Right here," Peach said, holding out the angel in plain view.

"That's not the relic!" he shouted.

"But I found it on the pedestal just as you said."

"That's just a trinket! I'll be in so much trouble if I don't find the relic."

"Peach," Zelda spoke in a calmer fashion. "Was there anything else on the pedestal?"

"Just a pillow cushion…"

"Pillow cushion?" the Shaman said as if he had never had one there. "Strange…Where is it now?"

"She's sitting on it," Zelda noted.

The Shaman looked and saw the white pillow under her. His eyes arched and he spoke in a low, angry voice. "Please, tell me you are not sitting on the relic…"

"What?" Peach exclaimed. "It's just a pillow. This chair is too hard to be comfortable."

"Rise!" he said, approaching the chair. She got up and he sighed as he saw the white pillow. "This is all so horribly wrong. You sat on the holy relic!"

"…Which happens to look like a perfectly normal pillow," Zelda muttered.

"Well, I still absorbed its power, so there's nothing to worry about," Peach said optimistically. "I'm sorry for sitting on it, though."

"It's not that simple," he said. "Its power is transferred to whatever touches it. I had intended for you to simply hold it to channel the power into your hands, or even embrace it to transfer power to your core…but now that you've sat on it, the power has been transferred to your…your…"

"Peach," Zelda suggested.

"…Quite," the Shaman agreed.

"My what? Just tell me what that word means."

The Shaman spoke bluntly, "In this case, it means your ever so lovely derriere, my dear."

"Oh," Peach blushed. "…So…what new power do I have?" There was a brief, awkward silence.

"…Ahem, perhaps I should send you two along to Hyrule then," the Shaman said suddenly.

"Good idea," Zelda quickly agreed. "One question, though. How am I to return Peach home?"

"How did you get here?"

"A long range teleporter that most likely no longer exists," Zelda said.

"Ah, technology. I see…Well, it was totally unnecessary."

"What!" Zelda exclaimed.

"I did say your worlds were both crossroads," he reminded them. "The Dark World is a bridge accessible through both worlds. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few ways to go directly from Hyrule to the Mushroom World and vice versa. Anything else?"

"…No," Zelda said, now frustrated.

"I have a question," Peach said.

"If it's about your power, then forget about it."

"No, it's different."

"All right…"

"Isn't the name Oracle for girls?" she asked, catching both Zelda and the Shaman off-guard. "I've never heard of one that was a boy."

"Young lady, I can be whatever I want," Oracle said. He proved his point by turning into Mario, then Bowser, then Peach, and back to a Shaman.

"What are you?" Zelda asked, backing away.

"That's for me to know," he said.

"You're a Duplighost, aren't you?" Peach spoke, stepping forward and looking into his hood. "A girl Duplighost…"

"………….Maybe," Oracle spoke. "Not that you can prove any of what you can say…"

Peach smirked and raised her hands high into the air. A blue balloon with an X on it appeared and it burst onto the Shaman. The illusion was blown away, and there stood a figure under a blue sheet with eyeholes and a mouth hole. There was a tuft of pink hair sticking out through the head area. The face was an expression of quiet shock. The muted Duplighost swallowed her pride and summoned a pillar of light. Peach giggled as she and Zelda floated up into the light and disappeared.


	2. Return to Hyrule

**Return to Hyrule**

Everything was completely white. There was the echo of dripping water. Peach and Zelda floated down onto separate sapphire pillars floating in darkness. There were sapphire walls coming in and out of the light, with crystals shining everywhere.

"Zelda?" an old man's voice echoed. "Is that you?"

"Who is there?" Zelda called out. "Where are we?" Suddenly, both she and Peach reappeared on a large platform with differently colored emblems on it. A bearded old man in a large, orange robe rose out of the yellow emblem.

Zelda gasped, "A…Are….Are you?"

"Rauru, Sage of Light," he nodded.

"Then…this is…this is…"

"The Chamber of Sages, within the Temple of Light," he said for her.

"It's just like Link said!" Zelda smiled, feeling unusually giddy. "It's so beautiful!"

"May I ask who this young lady is?" Rauru asked, motioning toward Peach.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Zelda apologized. "This is my friend from the world I was lost in for a while. She is also royalty, like me."

"I see," Rauru said. "When you disappeared, I had feared the worst. But now that you are back, I'm afraid there is little to celebrate besides your return."

"Ganondorf has taken over my kingdom, hasn't he?" Zelda said, expecting such a thing. "I'll bet he's ruined the land just as he did in that alternate…"

"Nay," Rauru shook his head. "The situation is more grave than that."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm afraid Hyrule has fallen into war once again," Rauru sighed. "It is almost exactly as it was all those years ago. Each race has betrayed the others in favor of bloody conquest, assassination attempts, and revenge. The Zoras have flooded much of the land, while the Gorons have sought to burn it all to ashes by causing Death Mountain to constantly erupt. A river of lava has already flowed to the very border of Kakariko Village."

"That's impossible," Zelda said in shock. "My father made peace with them. Darunia, King Zora, and Father are all good friends. I am personally a friend of Princess Ruto. It must be Ganondorf's doing!"

"That evil man who stole the Triforce of Power has surprisingly little to do with this," Rauru said with a heavy heart. "He has taken over Hyrule Castle Town, but little more. Of course, Hylians have fled to Kakariko Village, but the war itself is most troubling. I believe Ganondorf seeks to weaken each army by prolonging their war with one another. I say this because each of the Sages, except for you, have been imprisoned within their own temples."

"Ganondorf had said that they would be imprisoned in the Dark World," Zelda frowned.

"Some time after capturing them, they each managed to escape," Rauru explained. "Unfortunately, the Gerudo King tricked them into returning to their temples, where he ensnared them."

"…Where is Link?" Zelda asked. "Did he escape as well?"

"Yes," Rauru nodded. He seemed glad to finally have some good news to tell her. "He escaped with Impa to Kakariko. However, like everyone else in that village, he remains trapped within a barrier of shadow. It is Impa's doing, intended to protect the village from the lava flowing down Death Mountain. Unfortunately, her current state prevents her from creating an escape or an entrance. If not assisted for long, everyone in the village shall starve."

"How can I help them?" Zelda asked desperately.

"I'm afraid you'll have to free the sages one by one in order to save as many lives as possible."

"I'm listening."

"First, journey to the forest and free the Sage of Forest. With her power unlocked, the trees should be able drain some of the flood waters around Hyrule. Next, I would suggest you find the hidden entrance to Goron City within the forest and free the Fire Sage from the bowels of Death Mountain. He should be able to stop the lavaflow. With Impa free to let down her barrier, Link is to retrieve the Master Sword as soon as possible and free the Sage of Water as well as the Sage of Spirit. It is quite a task for someone such as yourself. Do you need me to repeat it?"

"No, sir," Zelda said. "Both Peach and I can handle this, right Peach?"

* * *

Peach had been listening to the conversation the entire time, but could not understand a word they were saying. It was as if they were speaking another language. She did not bother to say anything, thinking that it was just the easiest way for Zelda to talk in her native land. Then, Zelda turned to her and spoke, "Suku naisa Peach koro siya, Peach ya?" 

"Excuse me?" Peach said. "I don't understand what you're trying to say. Could you speak in English, please?"

Zelda tilted her head and said, "Huh? Chobi naku hyup, Peach." She stared at Peach, seeming to expect an answer. "…Yuse morinoi… Waka mata, Peach!"

"What?"

* * *

"I don't think she can understand you," Rauru said. 

"I don't understand what she's trying to say either," Zelda said. "This never happened in the her world…It's as if a language barrier suddenly appeared when we crossed over."

"And you say you could understand one another in her world?"

"Yes."

"Hmm… Then, this should be temporary. Something caused the Hylian tongue to mix with her language when you crossed over, creating a single language. Hopefully, it will occur here in time as well."

"Come to think of it," Zelda said thoughtfully, "I was unconscious for a while when I first arrived."

"Nani?" Peach asked. "Wakarimasen, ne?"

"Perhaps I should write my recommendations down?" Rauru suggested.

"She wouldn't understand Hylian," Zelda rolled her eyes. "I didn't understand their writing. I'll just explain things later, when we'll be able to talk to one another."

"Very well. I shall send you to the Temple of Time. Beware of Ganondorf's evil, for it had pierced nearly every location. He will undoubtedly be on the look out for you."

Zelda and Peach were covered with whiteness once more before finding themselves in the Temple of Time in the chamber behind the Door of Time. The first thing that drew Zelda's eyes was the Master Sword in its pedestal.

* * *

"Link…" Zelda said sorrowfully. Her eyes turned to those of determination and she looked at Peach. "Peach, syet." Peach watched as she materialized a harp in her hands and played a sweet minuet. 

"That's wonderful," Peach smiled. To her surprise, green sparkles gathered around them and seemed to pull on them. Soon, though, the sparkles faded away.

Zelda got a frustrated look on her face and muttered, "Oma friate…Ganondorf." Then, she began to walk through the passageway into the main temple. She looked back at Peach, who was still looking around. "Come on."

Peach immediately followed, realizing that she was beginning to understand her again.

* * *

"Hey, Zelda!" Peach called out. "Sore wa wakarimashite!" 

Zelda nodded. It seemed that they would fully understand one another soon. They cautiously exited the Temple of Time and found the surrounding area decimated. The sky was filled with grey and black clouds, casting a shadow over everything. Zelda looked into the horizon and saw red-hot lava pouring down Death Mountain. Since the clouds blocked the sun almost completely, the lava had an eerie glow. Most startling to Zelda was the absence of the smoke ring that had always floated around the crater.

When they walked into the marketplace, they found everything in shambles. Buildings had been shattered, flattened stands were in dying flames, and bodies littered the ground. It was in a sad state that was similar to what Link had described the alternate future as. Zelda was somewhat saddened by the image, but Peach seemed to be taking it even harder. She was speechless and her eyes were wide open as she stumbled backwards, whispering something to herself in disbelief.

"Peach, what's wrong? You've seen death and destruction before. Now's no different…What is it?"

"Blood!" Peach screamed in horror. "Blood, blood, blood!"

Zelda's eyes widened and she looked at the bloody mess before her. She finally realized what had been so wrong during the battles in the Mushroom World. There had been absolutely no spilled blood. Even the soldier she had seen sliced in half in Sarasaland had not bled a drop. It was no wonder Peach was having a panic attack.

"Peach, Peach!" Zelda said, grabbing her shoulders and making Peach face her. "Look at me. You have to calm down. We'll be in a lot of trouble if we're spotted here."

"Blood!" Peach whimpered. "Doushite! Why is it here!"

"Shhhh! I'm sorry, but it's just the way my world works. When someone is hurt, they bleed. It's natural for any living thing. Nothing to get too worked up over."

"Ooouuuuuoooouuuum…" a haunting moan came from amongst their surroundings. Others joined it all around.

"No," Zelda cringed. "Not Redeads; not now." The reddish clay-colored zombies rose from the debris and came from the alleys. Their eye sockets had no eyes and their gaping mouths hung open like black holes.

"Noroi! Noroi!" Peach shuddered in fear as the Redeads surrounded them.

"What was that song Link said he used?" Zelda asked herself, taking out her harp. She could not remember how to play the Sun Song, a tune whose magic would immobilize the lurching beings. She accidentally caught the stare of one and was instantly paralyzed with fear. She knew she would have to look away to break the curse, but it was getting too close.

"Uuuuuuaaaa…" a new type of moan came. One of the dead bodies that had been lying on the ground slowly rose and stood limply. It lurched toward Zelda at a slightly faster pace and soon got in front of the approaching Redead. Just when it seemed it would strike her, it turned around and stood in the way of the Redead. Zelda was able to break free, yet they were still surrounded. More moaning corpses rose from the debris and wreckage, coming to join the zombified Hylian. Soon, there were enough to block all of the Redeads' gazes.

"Ruuun," one moaned, looking at Zelda. "Ruuuuuun."

Several Hylian zombies grabbed onto several Redeads and held them back, providing a way for Zelda and Peach to escape. After hesitating for a moment, Zelda grabbed Peach's hand and pulled her out of the marketplace and to the drawbridge. Peach was whimpering and holding back tears the entire way. They found many puddles as they continued along and finally encountered the drawbridge, which was up.

"Time for a quick change," Zelda said, transforming into Sheik. He took out his chain and spun it a few times before flinging it over the wall. "Hold on to me, Peach." She clung to him as he climbed the chain until he reached the top of the wall. He was shocked at what he found upon reaching the top. The river had flooded to the point that the water was nearly halfway up the length of the raised bridge. In the distance, he could see Lon Lon Ranch appearing to be on an island rather than a hill. He could see several clouds of smoke even farther into the distance. The water looked relatively empty, except for the occasional tree, log, or Peahat. However, if what Rauru said was true, Sheik knew the water was the Zoras' territory. Swimming was out of the question, considering the now hostile nature of the Zoras as well as the distance they would have to cover. There was a log a relatively short distance away, but it would still require them to get in the water and swim. He transformed back into Zelda.

"What's wrong?" Peach asked, pulling herself together. "Where are we going?"

"To the forest," Zelda answered. "Are you able to understand everything I'm saying?"

"Yes, I think so," Peach nodded.

"Good," Zelda said, beginning to concentrate. She focused on the log and attempted to pull it closer so that they could jump onto it. Unfortunately, it didn't budge after several moments. "Blast it…"

"What are you trying to do?"

"We can't risk swimming in these dangerous waters…I'm trying to bring that log closer so that we can use it as a makeshift raft. But it seems that my telekinesis isn't strong enough."

Peach mentally judged the distance from their position to the log. "…Zelda?"

"Yes?" Zelda said, beginning to concentrate again.

"How much do you weigh?"

Zelda blushed and snapped, "What business is that of yours? And what does that have to do with our current situation?"

"If you aren't too heavy, I should be able to carry you to the log," Peach explained. She demonstrated by lifting her feet off the ground and floating for a moment.

Zelda stared at her for a moment, feeling stupid. Then, she grudgingly muttered, "Fifty-six kilograms."

Peach's plan worked perfectly, though her slight difficulty with carrying Zelda did nothing for the Hylian's self-esteem. Zelda looked toward her destination and saw brambles and briars growing around the entrance to the forest. It would take an entire day to get there, so she decided that it was best to stop at Lon Lon Ranch for the night. Peach used Zelda's sword as a paddle, while Zelda herself slowly moved the log with her telekinesis, knowing that she could certainly use the practice. As they floated through the empty waters, Zelda told Peach everything Rauru had said. Though they did encounter some aquatic wildlife, they were able to avoid more threatening varieties such as the flying, manta ray-like Stingers.

When they finally washed up onto shore by nightfall, Zelda looked back at how far they had gone. Even at night, the capital city of Hyrule was darker than most of the rest of Hyrule. The only thing darker was the blackish-purple energy that enshrouded all of Kakariko. Then, she faced the entrance to Lon Lon Ranch, which had two torches hanging on the sides of the entryway. A few boats and other logs were also beached.

"Do you hear that, Peach?"

"It sounds like music."

"Something isn't right about this," Zelda said suspiciously. "Let's be careful."


	3. Lon Lon Tavern

**Lon Lon Tavern**

Upon entering the ranch, it was obvious that there were already visitors. There were a few horses tied to stakes just outside the Cucco coop and stall. Peach and Zelda could clearly hear music coming from the coop as they peeked into pasture. There were more horses as well as more exotic modes of transportation in the pasture such as Dodongos, ostrich-like Ostros, the latter of which were familiar to Peach, and humble, wooden carriages. None of the animals seemed to mind one another and even crossed each other's paths occasionally without harm. When Zelda and Peach peeked into the barn, they only found horses, cows, and Cuccos. They returned outside and stood before the entrance to the coop, which was also the main house. They decided it was best to disguise themselves somewhat to be cautious. Zelda removed her jewelry and wrapped a scarf around her face, concealing all but her eyes and ears. Peach donned a light grey cloak she had kept in her knapsack.

As soon as they entered, everyone inside glanced at them briefly before returning to their own business. The coop had been remodeled into a tavern of sorts. Various peoples were seated at tables, playing card games, talking, drinking, or otherwise relaxing. Most of the customers were Gerudos and Hylians, of which both races made up a small band playing in the corner, but there were a few more monstrous types such as Moblins, Lizalfos, and Dinolfos. Strangely, there were also a few Shy Guys, Snifits, and Bandits, sitting on one side of the room. Glaring at them from the other side of the room were the Shamans, Crooks, and Sackits. The latter two types had dark faces like Shamans, yet their eyes were more menacing and they wore colorfully striped Kokiri-like hats. The Crooks were dressed in blue, while the Sackits were in red and green.

Zelda could see Talon, the owner of the ranch, acting as a bartender near the stairway. Peach seemed to look at him peculiarly. Zelda spotted Ingo and Malon acting as waiters. She could tell from the expression on Malon's face that she was sad, but trying to make the best of things. Zelda slipped over to her and tapped her onto the shoulder while Malon was refilling drinks at the bar.

"May I have a word with you outside?"

The redheaded girl politely replied, "Sorry, but I don't do that sort of thing. Maybe one of the Gerudos would be willing to…"

"Malon, it's me Zelda," she whispered, lowering her scarf slightly.

"Zelda!" Malon exclaimed, drawing the attention of several others.

"Shh!"

"Oh, uh…you say Zelda's dead? That's too bad…" she spoke loudly. When everyone had looked away she quickly whispered, "Come with me…" Then, she called out to her father at the bar, "Dad, I'm taking my break!" He nodded. Malon led Zelda out, with Peach following.

They walked into the barn and Malon said, "Who is that?"

"This is my friend Peach," Zelda replied in a hushed voice. "She is in exile along with me." Peach curtsied while keeping her hood on.

"You can't imagine how happy I am to see you, Zelda," Malon said, hugging her before undoing her apron and sitting against a stall. "Things have been horrible ever since you disappeared."

"I understand there is a war?"

"Yes. It's as if all the races forgot their allegiances. Right now, the Zoras are the biggest threat because they rule the waterways. They've made travel so difficult that people from all across the land come here."

"Since when did you have a tavern?" Zelda asked.

"It's been that way for almost two months now," Malon frowned.

"Two months! I couldn't have been gone for that long…"

"Don't you know? It's been over four months since you disappeared. Everyone thought you were…dead."

"So much time…" Peach whispered. "That could have been from going to another dimension….Or we were captured for most of that time…They could have done anything they wanted to us."

Zelda shuddered at the thought. "Malon, why do you have so many…strange customers?"

"We don't really have a choice," Malon said sadly. "We don't even own the ranch anymore. The Gerudos came one day and took over."

"Ganondorf…"

"No…it wasn't him."

"What do you mean it wasn't him?" Zelda said incredulously. "He's the Gerudo King. Anything they do is his handiwork."

"After that attack on Hyrule Castle," Malon explained. "The Gerudos disassociated themselves with him. They refused to follow someone who would commit such terrible crimes. Don't forget about what he did to their second-in-command seven years ago. And Ganondorf…he abandoned them, saying that they were too weak to be a part of his army. And yet, after taking over the castle, he hasn't done anything more. Everything else is _everyone else's_ doing."

"Who struck first?"

"It's hard to say," Malon spoke unsurely. "Everything happened so swiftly. Hylians tried to flee into the mountains, but the Gorons attacked them. Other Hylians went to Zora's Domain, but the Zoras didn't respond any better. When they tried to force their way in, the Zoras flooded the river and Lake Hylia. So far, the strongest factions are the Gerudo and the Zoras, not counting Ganondorf, who's just sealed himself in the castle. The River Folk have the northeastern part of Hyrule, while the Desert Thieves have claimed most of the southwestern parts. There's a rumor that a battle just ended a few hours ago in the south."

"Ganondorf has done more than just sealed himself in the confines of my castle," Zelda said spitefully. "He's sealed the Sages within their own temples."

"You…you mean the ones Link talked about?" Malon asked. "Like Saria and Princess Ruto?"

"The very same," Zelda nodded. "Freeing the Sages should bring some order back to this chaotic land. Our first destination is to the east in the Lost Woods, where Saria lies trapped within the Forest Temple."

"Before we go, though," Peach added, "would it be okay if we spent the night here, please?"

"Of course," Malon smiled. "Anything for Her Majesty and her friend."

"Very good," Zelda said, dropping into a sitting position.

"No, you mustn't sleep here," Malon said, standing up.

"We don't mind sleeping here," Zelda said in a friendly voice. "We wouldn't want to intrude on you."

"And the hay looks comfy," Peach said, petting a horse that was trying to nuzzle her.

"I don't sleep in here or my room," Malon said hesitantly. "It would be too easy for someone to…take advantage of me."

"They didn't….take advantage of you…did they?" Zelda asked gently, while Peach looked shocked at the mere thought of it.

"Who would do such a thing?" Peach said.

"No, no!" Malon said quickly, grabbing her apron. "Nothing's happened to me…yet. I sleep on the other side of the pasture in the…"

"Malon!" Ingo called from outside. "What're you doin' in there, ya little urchin! Ya know everyone's waitin' for your performance and here you are doin' who knows what!"

"Wait here until I return," Malon said, going to the door. "I'll take you to my secret spot once we close up."

"Okay," Peach said.

"Understood," Zelda nodded. Malon bowed once more and left, apologizing to Ingo on the way. Peach and Zelda sat next to one another in front of a cow's stall that was facing the door. It was peaceful here. Though it would have been a nice place to sleep, they heeded Malon's warning.

"Zelda," Peach said quietly.

"Hmm?"

"I'm…sorry about before."

"What are you talking about?"

"The way I freaked out…over the…blood."

"It's to be expected when your world doesn't have any. Don't worry about it."

"Our world does have blood, but…" Peach stumbled and paused. "It's not something that I'm used to seeing that way. I've only seen it in hospital blood banks…and a few videogames."

"Our worlds are very different from one another," Zelda said thoughtfully. "Yet, they are somehow connected. Both have gone horribly wrong."

"Four months is a long time," a rasping voice said. Peach and Zelda were startled.

"Who's there?" Zelda demanded. They heard a light splashing noise across the room and saw white-blue limbs and a fin hanging out of a trough. "A Zora?"

"It's funny the way things can go horribly wrong in what everyone _thinks_ is a perfect world," he spoke in a dry, almost pitying voice. "But it's not…It never was."

"What are you doing here?" Zelda asked distrustfully.

"I'm a Zora in exile," he answered in the same tone. "Isn't that funny? Banished from every natural source of water in Hyrule…and all because I didn't see the purpose of the war…I didn't see the point in attacking people who were supposedly our allies…Lines were crossed, allegiances broken…" he splashed his fist into the water. Then, he slowly rose from the water and faced them. He had an ironic look on his face, yet his shoulders were hunched. Like most Zoras, he had large, dark eyes, a tailfin protruding from the back of his head, and light blue skin that faded to white. "Hyrule, a land once at war with itself over petty differences, then a land of false ties, is now a land of betrayal…And would you like to know the saddest part?"

Zelda and Peach made no reply.

"The saaaaddest part is that not a single, wretched person is innocent of this crime. Not a goddamned one…The children have lost that wonderful glow that is their innocence; brother has forgotten brother for one unimportant venture or another; young people who blossom into adulthood have lost their love…their love of life, self, purpose, and lover; mothers abandon their children to be seduced by evil; and duty to those with close bonds is overwhelmed by the natural instinct to destroy a threat, even at the cost of those who would otherwise be protected. Yes…even the land itself has been betrayed…abandoned by the very ones who created it, disregarded by the ones who protect it, and ravaged by the ones who depend upon it."

"Not everyone is a traitor," Zelda said solemnly.

"Have you not seen the blood spill?" the Zora said, approaching them. "Have you not seen the tragedy?"

"Only the aftermath," Zelda said.

"Zelda, maybe we should go…" Peach said, feeling uncomfortable as the aquatic being trudged to them.

"Have you not abandoned this land yourself, Wanderer?" the Zora asked. "And you as well, Your Majesty? Everyone has committed at least one crime no matter who they are."

"No, that was an accident," Zelda said.

"Wanderer?" Peach whispered to herself.

"Have you not _caused_ your friends unnecessary trouble?" he continued, gradually raising his voice. "Have you not _broken_ someone's heart? Have you not _shirked_ great responsibility in order to take the easier path? Have you not _lied_ to your most trusted of friends to keep an inconsequential secret? Have you not _caused the death_ of another of Mother Farore's creatures? Have you not _fouled_ the drinking water of your fellow man, so to speak?" By now, he was leaning over Zelda, face to face with her.

"Go away," she said sternly.

"As I thought," he said, grinning with his fangs and standing up straight. "The Golden Age is over, Zelda. The time has come for the Darkness to reclaim its rule over Hyrule as it did so few years ago…for the Light belongs elsewhere."

"Did you betray anyone?" Peach asked suddenly, before he could leave.

"Tis a universal trait in this world," he said, looking over his shoulder. "I have betrayed my people, who have betrayed me in turn. I shall also betray myself upon leaving this Grave of Life, by throwing it all away. Farewell, young Wanderer. Goodbye, Your Majesty." With that, he left them.

"His words rang many truths, as harsh as they may be," Zelda said thoughtfully. "Betrayal does exist in everyone."

"Why did he call me Wanderer?" Peach asked quietly.

"Your current state of dress resembles her," Zelda answered. "She was said to have always worn a cloak to hide her form and face. No one knows where she came from and no one knows exactly what she is. Some say she was a vengeful phantom that smote all who participated in battle. Others say she was an angel sent to simply make peace between all beings. From what few images I've seen of her, though, she looks more similar to a Shaman from your world, except without her entire face shrouded in darkness. In fact, Sheik and I saw a statue of her after we escaped Bowser's fortress. It reminded me of that mysterious star statue that you had in your courtyard. I never had a chance to tell you that I could fully read it. Both the Wanderor's statue and the star statue had Hylian script. Would you like to know what they said…? Peach?"

She looked toward Peach and found her dozing silently. Zelda frowned at her rudeness until Sheik commented, _"Don't be so hard on her. We've all been through the wringer today. You can't blame her for getting comfortable at the first chance."_

_"She fell asleep while I was talking,"_ Zelda countered. _"Besides, Malon said it wasn't safe to sleep in here."_

_"Think of it as a sign of trust. I would be flattered that Peach would rely on me to guard her."_

_"Many things about Peach flatter you,"_ Zelda smirked. Her smile became more satisfied when Sheik was unable to say anything to that.

As time slipped by, Zelda found herself nodding drowsily. The animals had all fallen asleep and it was deathly quiet. Even the sound of music had disappeared from outside. After one giant dip, Zelda sat up straight and had had enough. She stood up and began to pace back and forth, wondering what was taking so long.

Peach was slowly sinking to the side. She suddenly slipped away and fell to the side, hitting her head on the ground and waking up instantly. "Huhwhat?"

"Malon's been gone for sometime," Zelda said anxiously. "Let's go check on her before we fall asleep in here…" She looked and found Peach dozing once again. She brusquely grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to the door.

When they opened the door to the tavern, they found it nearly empty. Talon was snoozing behind the bar, while Ingo slept in a corner.

"We're closed," a Gerudo said, standing right next to the doorway. She wore the purple outfit that most middle-ranked Gerudo guards wore. She had a veil, a sleeveless shirt that stopped above her navel, and puffy pants. There was a single yellow jewel on her brooch and she had her red-orange hair tied in a small ponytail.

"I'm here to speak with Malon," Zelda said, while Peach yawned behind her.

"I don't think she's into that sort of thing," the Gerudo said, looking them over with her golden eyes. "Either way, she'll be down in a minute. Just going over a few business matters. After that, you need to leave the premises."

"Wait, Tanafe," Malon said, exiting the room upstairs. "They're with me." She quickly hopped down the stairs and came to them. "Sofuru said to close the gate. It's almost lights out."

"Right," the Gerudo nodded, exiting.

"Okay, let's go," Malon said to Zelda and Peach. They left the building and walked along the path around the near-empty pasture. "Sorry for making you guys wait so long. Nothing happened while I was gone, right?"

"Just a disturbed Zora," Zelda said a little too casually.

"Oh, I forgot all about him," Malon said, looking back. "Did he leave?"

"Yes," Peach answered.

"He looked so miserable, I couldn't refuse him," Malon said.

"Did the Gerudos know about him?" Zelda asked.

"They didn't mind much," Malon said, continuing to walk. "The Gerudos can be kind of nice once you get to know them."

"Really?"

"Yep," Malon nodded. "They keep the peace around here and they don't care who their customers are as long as they've got money to spend."

"I had known them to despise those who were not of their kind," Zelda said, raising her eyebrow.

"They don't exactly warm up to everyone," Malon smiled slightly. "But they like money, they need men, and they respect strong women. Just about anyone can appeal to at least one of those qualities."

"What do you mean by 'need men?'" Peach asked innocently.

Zelda and Malon blushed slightly. Zelda explained, "Their tribe is almost completely made up of women. How else do you think they keep up their numbers?"

"Oh!" Peach gasped.

"It's inside here," Malon said as they stood before the silo. They entered and found two cows sleeping side-by-side as well as a clump of boxes. "Just a second." Malon began to push boxes around.

"Where are the Gerudos staying?" Peach asked.

"Some leave to go to other places in Hyrule," Malon said, pulling herself onto a box and hopping into a corner out of view to push another one. "The others stay in my room upstairs…There we go! Come on in."

Peach and Zelda got onto the boxes and saw her go into a crawlspace. They followed her and came into the small, cozy, hollowed out rock room. There was a white blanket over a bed of hay and a pillow. Malon dug through the hay and pulled out her golden brooch, which looked exactly like the face of a certain Koopa King.

"Is that Bowser?" Peach asked, astonished. Zelda blinked, just realizing the resemblance.

"What, this?" Malon said, holding up the necklace for her to see. "Well, yes, I guess. It was my mother's Bowser brooch. Dad has one, too. It's really just something to mark the day they founded and built this ranch. I keep it in her memory and for good luck. Dad says the person who sold it to them said it scares away evil creatures."

"Don't you usually wear that everywhere?" Zelda asked. "Why hide it here?"

"Dad and I had a feeling someone would try to steal them," Malon said. "I hide mine here, in my secret spot. Not even the Gerudos know about this exact spot."

"Did your father make this place just for you?" Zelda asked, touching the smooth rock wall.

"Actually…no," Malon said, getting a slightly uncomfortable look on her face. "I've never told anyone else this…except Link. Promise not to tell anyone…"

"Not a word," Zelda smiled.

"My lips are sealed," Peach nodded, zipping her lips.

"Okay, I'm going to trust you as my best friend and new friend," Malon said nervously. "I like to come here because…it's where Mom took me when I was little to talk and keep to ourselves. She hired a Goron to hollow this out before I was born. Whenever I'm here, I don't feel alone, even though no one else is around. It feels so peaceful, as if Mom is right here for me, listening to everything I say and watching over me. And I've always wanted Link to meet her… I'm hoping that one day he'll call her Mom, too." A deep blush came onto her shyly smiling face.

"You're in love with him?" Zelda asked, actually surprised.

"That's so sweet," Peach smiled warmly.

"Of course I love him," Malon giggled. "I've had a crush on him ever since we were little kids. He's the only other person who can tame Epona. He helps me with my chores every chance he gets. He keeps Dad out of trouble. And he's so warm and friendly and shy."

"You do know you aren't the only one, correct?" Zelda said, growing anxious.

"I think Link only figured that out a little while before all this happened," Malon giggled.

"You aren't worried?" Zelda asked, somewhat surprised about her lightheartedness.

"I'm a little nervous, sure," Malon shrugged. "It's hard to stand out when he practically lives with his childhood friend Saria and Ruto is already engaged with him. I know Link. He'll be with someone that can make him happy, whether its Saria, Ruto, me, or even someone else he has in mind. No matter what, we'll still be friends."

"That's true," Zelda said, looking at the ground.

"Something wrong?" Malon asked, before getting a teasingly suspicious look on her face. "Do you have feelings for him, too?"

Zelda blushed and stammered, "What? Of course not…we're just…friends. Just good friends and nothing more…" Peach could not help giggling at her.

"Hmm," Malon eyed her. "I don't know, Zel. You're being awfully defensive. There's nothing wrong with being in love. It's a wonderful experience. Besides, you could join the crowd."

"No, just friends," Zelda said, looking around uneasily. Her leg was bouncing on the floor.

"Then, why do you look so anxious?"

"Because I've had to relieve myself for at least a half an hour," Zelda said, standing up. "Where _is_ your bathroom?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Malon said, covering her mouth. "Um…we don't have a bathroom…but we do have chamber pots. There should be one back in the silo."

"I'd rather not go in front of the cows," Zelda said, swaying now.

"Then…you could go outside," Malon suggested.

"Did you not imply when we arrived that there were perverts about?" Zelda asked.

"Well, you're not going in here," Malon huffed, folding her arms. Zelda had a pleading look on her face and squeezed her legs together. "Fine…I'll take you to my bathing area."

"Is it outside?"

"Yes, but there's an overhang and three walls. I'll keep a lookout. Peach, feel free go to sleep here…" She looked and found Peach already under the blanket sleeping. "…I'd better bring more pillows and blankets, huh Zelda?" Zelda was already scrambling through the crawlspace.

* * *

Peach yawned and stretched as she awakened from a good night's sleep. At least, she figured the night was over since it was impossible to tell. There was absolutely no sunlight inside. She suddenly realized that there was absolutely no source of light in the room, yet it was not very dark at all. She shrugged and decided not to think about it; she had seen stranger things before. 

Peach picked the hay out from her clothing and hair as best she could, but she could have used a brush. She saw Zelda still asleep with her own pillow and blanket close by, but Malon was not present at all. Peach decided to at least find out whether it was daylight or not. She crawled through the hole and climbed over the boxes.

"Moo," one of the cows went. They were standing in the same spot, now awake and chewing cud.

"Good morning," Peach said, petting them. They nuzzled and licked her hand and she was tickled by their friendly nature. She could see sunlight coming in through windows throughout the silo. She smiled and stepped outside. It seemed to be a peaceful mid-morning. The sun was shining and there was a cool breeze. She could also hear gentle humming nearby. It was coming from around the corner of the silo, next to the outer wall of the ranch. Peach began to hum along when she found it to be a familiar melody. When she stepped around the corner, she was met with bow and arrow aimed at point-blank range. It was Malon, dripping wet and covered in suds, yet wearing absolutely no clothing other than her Bowser brooch on a necklace. There was a bucket of soap and water on the ground next to her with a rag hanging on the rim. Her clothing was hung on a nail on the silo.

"Peach, is that you?" Malon asked, still holding up the bow and arrow.

"Yes, I'm sorry!" Peach blushed, turning around instantly and raising her hands.

"Whew!" Malon sighed, lowering the weapon. "I didn't recognize you without the hood. You can relax, now."

Peach lowered her arms and walked back around the corner. "I didn't mean to walk in on you like that."

"Don't worry about it," Malon said, as there was a splashing noise. "I probably should have warned you last night."

"I heard you humming a song that I know," Peach said, sitting against the wall. "How did you learn it?"

"Epona's Song? My mother sang it to me when I was little," Malon answered. "How about you?"

Peach almost could not speak for a second. "…The same…."

"Well, isn't that just the neatest coincidence?" Malon chuckled. "Maybe our mothers knew each other."

"Probably not…" Peach said uncomfortably. "I'm from another world…a place called the Mushroom Kingdom."

"Well, _you're_ here, aren't you?" Malon said lightheartedly. "No reason why someone else wouldn't be able to do the same." Malon came around the corner fully clothed and smiled.

"Um…where's your bathroom?" Peach asked.

* * *

After taking some time for Zelda to wake up and wash up, Malon took Peach and Zelda to the tavern for breakfast. Upon entering, they found Talon still sleeping, while Ingo swept the floor, cursing him under his breath. Several Gerudos were sitting around, talking and eating. 

"Morning, Malon," the Gerudo guard standing by the doorway greeted, nearly startling the three.

"Good morning, Zeni," Malon smiled.

"So, you did take them to bed with you," Zeni smirked under her veil.

"Don't get any ideas," Malon folded her arms. "They're just my friends."

"Then, why don't you introduce us?" a Gerudo said from upstairs. It was easy to see from her longer, fuller ponytail, bangs, larger array of jewelry, and lack of a veil that she was a higher-ranking Gerudo, perhaps not even a guard. She also had a smirk on her face and hopped down for a closer look. Peach and Zelda had on their disguises once again.

"Oh…" Malon said, glancing at Zelda, who shrugged to show that she had no idea what to do. "Um…"

"This one is clearly Zelda," she said, looking into her eyes.

"Ha, ha, good one, Sofuru!" Malon laughed nervously. "As if Zelda were actually here in Hyrule."

"You can't fool me," the Gerudo said, pacing around her. "I remember seeing you years ago, when you were a little girl and we had come to swear loyalty to your kingdom. Remember?" Zelda looked around nervously. "Don't worry. No one here is going to hurt you." Zelda slowly removed the scarf and the other Gerudos were somewhat surprised.

"You caught me," she admitted.

"And who is your other friend here?" Sofuru said, looking at the hooded figure. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you looked awfully similar to the Wanderer. You certainly aren't one of the Faceless Ones."

"You mean the Shamans?" Zelda suggested. The Gerudo nodded.

"I am not the Wanderer," Peach said, removing her hood. "My name is Peach." She curtsied politely. Everyone seemed to stare at her oddly. "Is something wrong?"

Another Gerudo volunteered to ask, "Exactly what manner of being are you?"

"Excuse me?"

"You have the eyes, skin, and hair of a Hylian," Sofuru said, "yet you have the ears of a Gerudo. You are not from this land, are you?" Malon just noticed Peach's ears, which had been obscured by her hair.

"No," Peach answered, feeling uncomfortable with all the stares.

"Ladies, mind your manners," Sofuru said to the others. The rest all stopped staring instantly and looked in any other direction. "Well, then…Zelda, Peach…please feel free to eat to your wallets' capacity." She sat at a table across the room and was instantly tended to by several other Gerudos.

"Sorry about that," Malon apologized with an uncomfortable grin. "Can't get anything by her…They won't let me feed you for free, so…"

"We have no Rupees," Zelda whispered.

"That's okay," Malon said, making sure no one heard. "They'll take any valuables."

"Wait," Peach said, opening her knapsack. "I have some gold coins."

"Gold?" Malon said in surprise as Peach held up a handful. "Oh, my…Um, how pure is it."

"It's completely pure," Peach answered.

Malon was speechless for a moment. After a moment of gaping at the gold coins, she finally spoke, "…With that, you could probably buy this whole ranch, let alone a meal…You said you were heading into the forest, right?"

"Yes," both women said.

"That area is flooded, especially around the entrance," Malon said, taking two coins. "After breakfast, I'll show you something you might want to consider for transportation."

* * *

They stood outside in the pasture. Stomping along in front of them, dragging its tail behind it, was a particularly large Dodongo. 

"You want us to ride a Dodongo?" Zelda balked.

"It's not so bad," Malon said, petting the two legged belly-dragger. "They don't look nice, but just feed them every week or so and they're fine. All you need is a saddle to soften your seat on those spines."

"Why a Dodongo?" Zelda questioned. "Why not a boat, or even a horse that can swim well?"

"You wouldn't think so, but they're great swimmers," Malon said. "And they're great at defending themselves."

"I know," Zelda said. "I've seen these monsters firsthand. They made late arrivals in a battle and set everything on fire. And I'm sure Link told you about his battles against these things."

"C'mon Zelda," Malon said, placing a saddle on its back. "Just give it a try. Rico's pretty gentle."

"No," Zelda said, turning her nose up. "I refuse to ride a monster known to eat just about anything."

"Hey, he isn't so bad after all," Peach said from atop the creature's back.

"Peach, what are you doing?" Zelda shouted.

"Look, he doesn't even need reins," Peach giggled as the creature walked around in a circle as she directed it. "I'll drive."

"We're not riding that thing and that's final," Zelda said sternly.

"It's no problem for me if you'd rather walk," Peach said in a singsong voice. "…Or swim."

"And you know who's in the water," Malon reminded her. "Zoras won't mess with him since he can breathe fire."

"No one's taking the Dodongo," Zelda said. "I don't even know why you have one here."

"That's a funny story actually," Malon said thoughtfully. "Two Gerudos and a Hylian walk into the bar and…"

"No, no, no!" Zelda said, interrupting her. "It's not coming."

"But Zelda," Peach began.

"But nothing. Who's the oldest here?"

"By the tiniest bit!" Malon shot back.

"It still makes me older," Zelda said matter-of-factly.

"How old are you?" Peach asked.

"Seventeen," Zelda smiled, wiping her hair back elegantly. "What are you? Sixteen?"

A large, sneaky smile came onto Peach's face. "Actually, I'm twen…"

* * *

"Bye, Peach!" Malon waved at the entrance to the ranch. "Bye Zelda!" 

"Wave goodbye, Zelda," Peach said, focusing ahead as they rode on the quickly moving Dodongo.

"Yes, ma'am…" Zelda muttered, still in disbelief that a person like Peach was older than her.


	4. The Cursed Forest

**The Cursed Forest**

Malon had been right about the Dodongo. On the way to the Lost Woods, they had encountered deep water, and Rico was an adept swimmer. For something with only two legs in the front, it did a good job of keeping all but its riders' feet out of the water. The scattered encounters with Zoras were nothing more than a nuisance. None of them would dare get close to the sharp-toothed Dodongo. Instead, they tossed rocks from a distance. Zelda simply put up a brief shield to block the annoying projectiles.

As they neared the wooded area, the Zoras stopped showing up completely. None would follow them into the briar patch covering the entrance. As the Dodongo slowly swam through the entanglement of thorns and vines, the vines and stems around them began to move, seeming to sense animal life.

"Take it slow, Peach," Zelda said, keeping a look out. She sensed maleficent energy flowing through every plant nearby. As they moved deeper into the thicket, the afternoon sun became obscured by the overgrowth of vines and the current of the water carried them further into the foliage. It was a shadowy place with only a few streaks of light poking inside. Eventually they went through the hollowed out tunnel of an ancient fallen tree that marked the actual entrance to the forest.

"Reeeaaagh," the Dodongo grunted as they went over a small waterfall and landed in a somewhat more shallow area of water.

"Someone destroyed the bridge," Zelda said. Her anxiety was increased by the deathly silence of the forest. Saria's Song was not playing. The forest did not even mysteriously echo it as it usually did when Saria not playing. There were no owl hoots, no chirping crickets, no singing birds; only the sound of roots slowly moving earth and leaves brushing against thorns.

"There's a ladder," Peach said, pointing a short distance away. The ladder was covered in vines. The Dodongo swam up to it and prepared to burn them away, when the vines suddenly shriveled away from the ladder and into the earthen wall.

"I'll take the lead," Zelda said, climbing onto the ladder. "I've been through this forest a few times."

"How is Rico supposed to get out of here?" Peach asked, climbing onto the ladder afterward.

"I don't know," Zelda said dismissively. "And to tell the truth, I don't much care."

"Don't be so cold," Peach said. "He got us all the way here without any problems."

"And it looks like he'll get himself back the same way." The Dodongo had leapt out of the water, up the waterfall, and into the tunnel.

"Bye," Peach waved.

Zelda rolled her eyes and began to lead her through the various turns needed to reach the Sacred Forest Meadow. The only reason it was so easy was because vines rose out the ground to block the wrong turns. Every time they exited a hollowed out tunnel, briars smashed through the wood behind them to either destroy or cover the path behind them. The path to the Kokiri Forest was completely blocked off by animated vines that wiggled more when they were approached. The entire forest was dark, devoid of any mystical sparkles and pollen that usually lit the way during the day and night. There were a few bloodstains on the grass and vines, much to Peach's silent horror. It was not long before they came across bloody bones. Zelda kneeled down to inspect them.

"This is a Wolfos skull," she said. She saw Peach turn away from the remains uncomfortably. "Don't worry. This tunnel leads to the Sacred Forest Meadow. Once we free Saria, the forest will be healed." After they stepped through, the vines predictably surged into place and blocked the way.

"Arrrooooooo!" A Wolfos leapt out of the foliage and into the clearing before the maze.

"Stand back, Peach," Zelda said, taking out her sword. The slobbering, black-furred Wolfos trotted forward and slashed at her with its front claws. She blocked and counterstriked. It blocked with its own claws and back-flipped away. It came forward again slashed with a howl. Peach was somewhat disturbed by the evil glowing eyes it had. Zelda hopped back from its strike and lunged at its tail when it spun around from its big swing. The tail was lopped off and the Wolfos was consumed in purple flames, burning to ashes.

"Why did it burst into flames?" Peach asked, relieved that at least no blood was spilled.

"Only creatures possessed by Ganondorf's black magic do that," Zelda answered with disgust. "I can sense his evil." There were more howls coming from the maze and a pack of four Wolfos clambered out into the open. They surrounded Zelda and Peach.

Zelda held a small frown on her face. "A little smarter than usual."

"Can't we just run?" Peach asked.

"Don't worry," Zelda said. "They're actually weaklings if you know how to fight them." The Wolfos stood still and prepared to pounce. Suddenly a circle of thorny vines burst out of the trees above. "That could be a problem, though." As she prepared to cast a barrier, the vines lunged out and grabbed the Wolfos. The animals struggled and growled but they were pulled into the forest. They could be heard whimpering and yipping as something else made more vicious growls. There was the sound of gnashing, the shredding of meat, and the snapping of bone. Then, all was quiet once again.

"Let's go, Zelda," Peach said, taking her hand fearfully. Zelda looked around and wondered why the vines had not attacked her and Peach. She kept her guard up and peeked into the maze. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw the remains of slaughtered Moblins and Wolfos.

"I think we should take the upper route," Zelda said, stepping back. She transformed into Sheik. He hooked his chain up onto the cliff. He climbed up and helped Peach up.

"Whatever you do, Peach," he said grimly. "Don't look down."

"Why? It's only…"

"Don't!" Sheik said, grabbing her chin. "Promise me."

"…Okay, I promise," she said uncomfortably. He took her hand and jumped the first gap with her. Then, a Big Deku Baba sprouted out of the grass and lunged at them.

"Whoa!" Sheik said, using his dagger and sword to keep it back. Several more of the monstrous blueberry–colored monsters sprouted behind it and snapped away. The green mist that spewed out of their drooling mouths was sickening.

"They're just like Piranha Plants," Peach said, pulling, of all things, a Deku Nut, our of the ground. Suddenly, a green Piranha Planted rose out of the ground and bit off the bulb of the nearest Deku Baba and spat it out. It disappeared into the ground as quickly as it had appeared.

"That was strange," Sheik said. The ground around them began to rumble and two larger Piranha Plants, one yellow and the other red, rose out of the maze and bit away the rest of the Deku Babas before spitting them out elsewhere. Then, they turned to face Peach and Sheik, who prepared for a strike. To their surprise, the plants simply motioned for them to continue ahead. Then, they disappeared into the ground.

"They're helping us," Peach said.

"I wouldn't be so quick to trust them," Sheik said cautiously. They continued to hop across the gap as the smell of blood from below increased. Though Peach did not recognize it, she was becoming nervous as a natural reaction. She was sweating and shaking a bit. Sheik noticed that the hole leading to the Fairy Fountain had been filled with dirt. Something was not right about the way things were going so far. Once they hopped down at the end of the maze and went up the stairway, they saw a large Moblin get snatched into the treetops above by several vines. Then, a shower of midnight blue blood rained down in the spot where it had been.

Sheik could hear Peach begin to mumble to herself nervously and uncontrollably. She clasped her hands and closed her eyes, attempting to breathe slowly. "Our promise to protect you is still in effect, Peach. Just take it slow and…" A Big Skulltula swung down to strike them but was devoured by a Piranha Plant that lunged out of the ground and disappeared just as quickly.

"Blood, blood, blood…" Peach mumbled before finally placing her hand over her own mouth to silence herself.

"Just…" Sheik began before a Deku Scrub popped out of the ground and was instantly dragged underground by a vine. "Just…" A Stalfos rose out of the ground and leapt at them with a slash before it was skewered by several vines that shot out of the walls like spears and slid back in. Sheik waited a moment during the walk forward before attempting to say anything. As they neared the end of the path where the puddle of blood was, he said, "Now, just…" Two Lizalfos approached from behind and were smashed through the wall by a Piranha Plant. "Never mind."

As they stepped into the Sacred Forest Meadow, they both felt as if they had stepped through a barrier. It was actually much more unsettling here, particularly to Sheik and Zelda. Nothing but bad feelings emanated from the Forest Temple. It was a clearing with a teleportation pad in the center. There was a stump to the side, where Saria had always played her ocarina, and a tree on the other side. Behind both, there was the stony entrance to the temple up in the air with a broken stairway. It was also covered in vines, which gradually spread away. The path leading to the Sacred Forest Meadow was completely blocked by foliage. There was no way back. They sky still remained blocked out for the most part.

"There's so much powerful energy coming out," Sheik said, feeling a little unnerved. "I can barely sense Saria at all. We must hurry." He slung his chain around the branch of the tree and climbed to the entrance. Peach quickly joined him and they entered the temple.

It was awfully dark inside, though there were some plants that had a glow to them. The foul energy was stifling. It even put Sheik on edge as could be told from him looking around everywhere agitatedly. The walls were literally covered in vines and the ground was grassy and mossy. They followed the stone path to the doorway, where a wooden door lay on the ground after presumably being knocked down. They went through the short hallway and out another broken doorway. It was another room covered in vines. The next doorway had a few bloodstains, red and blue, smeared on it.

Sheik readied his sword and cautiously approached. Suddenly, a vine poked out and beckoned them to enter. When they did enter, they saw a massive Piranha Plant hanging from the ceiling. It seemed to be the source of all the vines and thorns since it still appeared to be growing.

"How did something like this get here?" Sheik asked aloud.

The Piranha Plant turned toward them and smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know."

"…Did that thing just talk?" Sheik asked.

"Uh huh," Peach nodded. "Not that it's…totally unusual or anything. They just prefer to use their mouths for eating rather than talking."

"That's right," the flower spoke. "That little girl with the green hair has been waiting."

"Are you the one holding her here?" Sheik asked.

"Nope," it replied. "I've been growing here ever since she got out of that dark place."

"The Dark World," Peach spoke.

"Yeah, I think that was it. She told me to help you get inside. I guess it's a good thing she knows how make me grow so fast, though I've gotta' say, we weren't expecting to wait this long. Just take that elevator in the center there."

Sheik and Zelda cautiously made their way to the chamber in the center of the square of lit torches. Each torch had a differently colored flame. There was green, blue, orange, and purple. Each gave off the feeling of mischief and loneliness. Sheik and Peach couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable.

"So, you feel it too," the Piranha Plant nodded. "Just get rid of that Phantom Ganon guy and you won't have to worry about it anymore. Maybe the kid will be able to help…" The elevator sunk into a circular chamber. It looked almost as if the room would be able to spin. An arrow had been scarred into the floor, pointing towards bars that had been bent open. Sheik and Peach went through the hole and encountered a strangely patterned teal and gold chest.

Sheik opened the chest and a light shined out as he retrieved a large golden key with a jewel on it.

"That's the Boss Key, isn't it?" Peach guessed.

"How did you know?"

"After being held captive in so many fortresses and castles over the years," Peach smiled weakly, "it's not hard to tell the difference between a regular key and a Boss Key." They looked at the large, chained golden door. "Though the key usually isn't so close to the door."

"I think our friend up there put it down here," Sheik said, glancing up. "There's certainly been plenty of time to do so. I'm somewhat surprised as to why it simply didn't free Saria, since it said it was working for her. Don't be surprised if we find out the Piranha Plant is the real culprit." He inserted the key into the lock and it turned by itself, breaking the chains and opening the door.

It was so dark inside the circular room, that it was hard to see anything. There was a chain fence surrounding the center of the room, with each sharp post as tall as an adult. Sheik and Peach strolled around the outer part of the room, looking into the identically eerie paintings of a dirt path leading through a dark forest and up to an ominous castle. There was a sudden glow as Zelda took Sheik's place and lit a flame in her palm.

"I remember what Link said about this place," she said grimly. "Keep an eye on the paintings." They passed through the gate and, predictably, spiked posts shot up through the floor behind them, blocking them from going back.

"I guess you didn't get the hint, did you?" Ganondorf's voice said. "Oh, well. I'll get that Triforce piece out of you yet!" His figure appeared atop a black stallion floating in the air above Zelda and Peach. All that was different from the real Ganondorf was the horned-skull he had for a head.

"Phantom Ganon," Zelda said. "You're at a disadvantage. There are two of us."

"Your friend may look like the Wanderer," the phantom said, "but I doubt she has the same power or skill. Link may have defeated me in another time, but you're not Link and neither is your friend. Ha!" With a snap, his horse charged into one of the paintings and ran up the dark path, with Phantom Ganon cackling the whole way until they disappeared into the castle.

"Peach, tell me which painting he comes from if I don't see it!" Zelda said, charging her Shining Ray. They stood back to back.

"There!" Peach pointed to the left. Ganon was riding down the hill and he began to emerge from the painting. He was struck by the blast of light and retreated back into the painting.

"Good job!" Zelda said, readying another blast. She spotted Ganon running through a painting in front of her and began to charge once again.

"Over here!" Peach called out, pointing ahead.

"What?" Zelda said, confused. She saw Ganons running through both paintings. "He's trying to trick us. Put your guard up." Zelda backed herself against the wall to keep both paintings in sight. To her surprise, both Ganons turned around and ran back up the path.

"Ha ha ha ha!" Phantom Ganon laughed, riding out of the painting behind her. He spun his lance and blasted Zelda with his magic.

"Ah!" she screamed as she was knocked down by the burning electrical charge.

"Zelda!"

"I'm okay," she said, standing up. "Let's try that again." She took her place behind Peach and kept watch. There was a Ganon riding down the path in all three paintings in her sight.

"I see three over here," Peach said nervously.

"Tell me the moment you see one break through," Zelda said, preparing her ray.

"All of them!" Peach said.

"Same here!" Zelda said, bringing up her shield. As the Ganons burst through, they all sent their energy blasts into the shield, shattering it. The phantoms laughed as they phased through each other and rode into different paintings. "We need a better plan! This wasn't supposed to happen this way."

"I'll see what I can do," Peach said, raising her arms. "I'll try to seal each painting one by one with my Mute spell." She sent a balloon to one of the paintings where a Ganon was riding. As he emerged, the balloon was knocked away and deflated ineffectually.

"I guess we can forget that plan," Zelda said, putting up her shield once again. It was shattered once again, but Zelda felt the pain more directly in her hands. She angrily shot a Shining Ray into one of the paintings. The ray merged into the painting and knocked the Ganon off his horse.

"Try that again," Peach said.

Zelda chose the adjacent painting and blasted into it, striking the Ganon far up the path. She shot into the next painting, striking down another phantom. She caught another one just as it began to emerge from another painting. "It's working."

"Two more!" Peach reminded her. She turned around and snagged one as it flew above her. She dived to avoid the blast of the other, while Peach simply jumped and floated above the ground briefly. The grounded electrical blast range was surprisingly large.

"One to go!" Zelda said, as the last Phantom Ganon hopped off his horse, which disappeared, and he floated in the air.

"You insolent mortals!" the phantom yelled. "How dare you defy me! You've nearly relinquished your hope of escaping alive."

"Not so strong all alone, are you?" Zelda panted confidently, charging up the last bit of her magic.

"I'm strong enough to get rid of you!" he shouted, spinning his lance as he charged energy. As he slashed the energy ball down to her, she blasted her energy up to him. The beam clashed against the ball and it came down to a power struggle.

Peach stared up at the light show in awe. Then, something on the ceiling drew her attention. She could see a giant white bud sticking out of the ceiling. It seemed to be moving a little. Then, she noticed tiny cracks spreading from the bud down the walls, behind the paintings, and into the floor. Her attention returned to Zelda, who appeared to be giving way from overuse of her Shining Ray. Peach quickly uprooted another Deku Nut and tossed it at Phantom Ganon's head, throwing off his concentration just enough for him to be overtaken by the Ray.

"Uaaagh!" he cried, floating to the ground limply. Smoke rose off him and there was a dim yellow glow emanating from him. Zelda took out her sword and aimed for his head, but he suddenly hopped back into the air and laughed. "Nice try! But it'll take more than that to defeat me! And now that you're out of energy…"

"I don't need magic to destroy you," Zelda said, holding up her sword.

"Zelda, look," Peach said, tapping her shoulder.

"Not now, Peach," Zelda said, shrugging her away.

Peach saw the cracks becoming more numerous on the walls, but Zelda was too focused on Phantom Ganon to notice. Ganon charged his energy and Zelda prepared to knock it back with her sword. Suddenly, ropy, thorny vines burst through each painting and wrapped around Phantom Ganon's wrists, ankles, face, and waist. He was powerless as they pulled him tight.

"What in the name of Din?" Zelda exclaimed, stepping back.

"I tried to tell you," Peach said. "I think it came from that." She pointed to the bud sticking out of the ceiling. The bud's stem began to descend from the ceiling, lowering the bud until it touched the ground and turned upright. It gracefully unfolded and there stood Saria. Though her Kokiri shirt, sweater, and shorts were somewhat tattered and she was barefoot, her skin did not have a scratch and her hair looked untouched. Her skin looked unusually pale from a lack of sunlight and there was a glint in her eye. Her eyes were dark as if she had not slept at all in the past few months. She had a blank look on her face until she saw Zelda and made a small smile.

"Saria? Is that you?"

"Zelda… I've been waiting so long…for you to come back…"


	5. Lost Innocence

**Lost Innocence**

Zelda was relieved to see Saria relatively safe and sound. Even though she looked ruffled, the slight smile on her face was enough for Zelda. Peach stood to the side, studying the Kokiri girl. She had not expected a sage to be a ten year old. It was a little creepy to find such a young girl in a place like this, but she was glad Saria was safe.

"Saria, I'm glad you're okay," Zelda said warmly. The vines lowered Phantom Ganon, who was completely immobilized and silenced, to the floor. He was in the very center of the room, between Zelda and Saria.

Saria's smile faded as the hanging phantom struggled and blocked her view of Zelda. "Yes, I'm okay." Her voice was low and quiet. It had the sound of hidden anguish. "No thanks to the monster before me. It's tormented me night and day for months. I couldn't even sleep because of it. Hope was the only thing that kept me going. But now that I see you, Zelda, I know that though my pain will never disappear, it will be eased by my tormentor's destruction. The land will be one step closer to being cleansed of darkness and returned to the light."

"I'm so sorry for the pain you've suffered," Zelda said in a pitying tone. "But you've grown stronger. The plant you grew upstairs helped us the entire way. It also appears that your plant is the victor over the evil within this temple."

"It is not the victor yet," Saria said, arching her eyebrows slightly. "Not until the evil is slain."

"Excuse me," Peach said. "How did you get a Piranha Plant?"

"From the Dark World…" Saria replied, looking down. The moment was silent except for the rustling of Phantom Ganon.

"Well," Zelda sighed, looking at the phantom, "There's no use in standing around here, feeling sorry all day. We must destroy this monster and move on." She raised her sword and prepared to strike.

"Wait," Saria said, looking up. "_I_ will be the one to destroy my tormentor. It has cost me something I can never regain…Watch _closely_, for my tormentor will experience true suffering, just as I did…"

"But you shouldn't…" Peach began, before Zelda stopped her.

"Let her be," Zelda said. "This monster must be destroyed. This is not in Saria's character, but she has been through so much. You saw what she had her plant do to Ganondorf's minions outside. It is her right to make the final blow…"

"If it's too much for you, Wanderer," Saria spoke, looking at the monster before her, "simply look away. However, Zelda…we've known each other for a few years. You know me. Witness what the monster has made me become." Peach decided to take her advice and look away. Zelda nodded to Saria.

She had the vines raise Phantom Ganon back into the air, still holding him by his limbs, face, and waist. Suddenly, a spiky vine thrust out of the wall and impaled him through his chest like a pike. Its tip was covered in light green blood. Phantom Ganon let out a muffled scream.

"It's done," Zelda sighed.

"Not yet," Saria said, moving her arm around to control the vine. The vine wrapped around him once and impaled his stomach. More spiky vines reached out of the walls followed the same pattern of impaling, wrapping, and impaling once again. Peach began to breath harder as she heard the mushy yet occasionally bone-crunching sounds as well as his muffled screams, which were decreasing in number. Zelda watched in shock as Saria continued this until most of his body was covered in thorny vines. At this point, he was not moving at all and made no noise. As Saria closed her raised hand into a fist, the vines crushed him until green blood oozed out. When they could not squeeze any tighter, Saria made a clawing slash with her hand. The spiky vines began to zip back into the walls, spinning their thorns into him and ripping his flesh. When all the vines had fully returned into the walls, the bloody carcass dropped to the floor with a mushy thud and burned with purple flames until it was nothing more than a pile of ashes. Not even the puddle of green blood remained.

"Saria…" Zelda said, almost unable to speak. She looked at the ashes and then at Saria, wondering if this little girl had actually done what she just saw happen. A somewhat shaken Peach peeked and saw that it was over.

A smile came onto Saria's face and her blue eyes twinkled. "Now, that the demonstration is over, let's move on to the real thing."

"What?" Zelda asked. "Is Ganondorf really here?"

"Oh, he's not the monster. He isn't the one who caused…causes me so much pain." Saria looked Zelda straight in the eye and frowned. "It's you."

"Saria, you can't mean that…" Zelda nearly whispered.

"But I do," Saria said, as more vines crept into the room.

"I couldn't have possibly done anything to you in the past few months!" Zelda cried. "Don't you remember what happened?"

"I remember very well," she growled. "I saved you from the Dark World…saved you from Ganondorf… Meanwhile, I was sent to Hell with the others. I saw Link only briefly. As Ganondorf attempted to absorb our power, I saw something horrible… I saw your thoughts."

"My thoughts?"

"I saw how much you desired Link," Saria said disgustedly. "That alone was cause for jealousy, but I could hardly blame anyone for liking him… Then, I saw how you lusted for him. I saw each and every sick thought you had about him. I had already known what Hylians do when they're in love, but seeing you…what you wanted to do with him and how you _wished_ you could please him."

"Saria…I don't understand," Zelda said, beginning to have tears in her eyes.

"Then, let me make it blaringly clear for you," Saria said angrily. "I'm sure you've had a certain dream…one that you would almost never talk about in public. It involved you and Link…on a beach…and you had a body that you wish you had."

"No," Zelda whispered, stepping back.

"Do you remember how you betrayed your friends?" Saria asked. "You made love to Link, while your friends were being hunted down by monstrous creatures. You saw Malon being viciously beaten, yet you did nothing. You _murdered_ Princess Ruto when she attempted to get Link's attention. And then, when I ran to you to escape my pursuers, you _murdered_ me."

"No!" Zelda cried, clasping her ears. "It was just a dream!"

"And yet your other dreams were very similar," Saria said, narrowing her eyes. "In every one of them, you either killed me or watched shamelessly and heartlessly as I was killed." Tears gathered into Saria's eyes. "Those were not dreams. Those were prophecies. Some of them even showed you laughing at me as I was tortured, while you _whored_ yourself to Link. Even after I escaped to this place for peace, the images and sounds persisted. I could not return home because of so much torture…"

"You couldn't return home because Ganondorf trapped you here," Zelda insisted.

"Ganondorf is nothing to me!" Saria yelled, looking unusually menacing for such a young-looking person. "Do you know how much pain you caused me? Seeing you and Link over and _over _and OVER! You screaming and laughing in lust and joy all at once, while I am cut or burned or stabbed or disemboweled to death! Do you know what it's like to have your mind assaulted in such a way?"

"Saria, I…"

"It's like being raped…And you don't know what it's like to be raped…to feel so violated and ravaged, as everything you ever dreamed is dashed to bits…to feel as if my simple, innocent moments with Link were meaningless…to feel the sword of your treachery thrust itself into my womb, while you vocalize your sadistic ecstasy… That is why I lost my innocence, Zelda…Your lust for Link at the cost of myself and others has made me this way… You raped me."

"No!"

"And now his life is in danger," Saria said. "Had you not tainted my soul, I would have helped him long ago. But I must have control again. And to take that control away from my tormentor, I must destroy you."

"This can't be!" Zelda said in horror. "Ganondorof must have planted those images."

Peach stepped forward and said pleadingly, "Please, don't hurt Zelda. You're her friend. She would never do those things to you."

"Stay out of this, Wanderer," Saria warned. "I don't have a problem with you. Leave if you must. Nothing will stand in my way."

"I'm not the Wanderer," Peach said, removing her hood. "My name is Peach."

Saria took a moment to study her face. Turning back to Zelda, she stated, "You were a victim as well. Now, stand aside." A smooth vine reached out of the wall and pushed Peach away. The other, spiky vines stiffened and pointed toward Zelda. "Hold still."

When the vines shot out to Zelda, she ran and stumbled out of the way, leaving them to pierce the ground in her wake. More vines burst through walls to run her through, but she ducked and hopped over them.

"Saria, don't do this!" Zelda called out. Saria merely stared back at her, directing more vines to come out. Zelda used her sword to deflect strikes that could not be dodged, but they were still close enough to scratch and cut her shoulders from near misses.

"Please, stop!" Peach cried. "I don't want to see anymore blood!"

Zelda took a chance and transformed into the much more agile Sheik. Almost instantly, all the vines paused where they were, while remaining rigid.

"Have you changed your mind?" Sheik asked, with both blades drawn.

"You must be Sheik," Saria said thoughtfully. "Link told me all about you. I feel sorry for you, having to share a body with that witch."

"It has its uses," Sheik said, narrowing his eyes. "I'll thank you not to prejudge her.'

"Return Zelda," Saria said sternly.

"Excuse me?"

"There's no point in killing her if the coward isn't here to feel it," Saria frowned. "Return her."

"That's not going to happen," Sheik replied. "You won't catch me with those vines. I'm sure I can take you down easier than she can."

"Sheik!" Peach exclaimed.

"She's dangerous like this, Peach. I'm sorry to say that it's a good thing she wanted to confront Zelda here. She's the source of this maleficent energy. If she were to escape the forest, those massive briar patches would cover all of Hyrule."

"I see I'll have to take matters into my own hands again," Saria said, glaring at Sheik. The vines went back into motion and Sheik nimbly dodged them. The room rumbled when he started to cut away at the vines with his dagger. He was dodging too well for Saria's liking. She kneeled and placed her hand on the ground, causing roots to jut out at Sheik as well. When it became too crowded for him, he speedily bent over backwards, spun around on his back while cutting away roots and vines, and dived out of the foliage. He ran for Saria with his sword raised, but she suddenly tossed a multitude of leaves at him.

"Ah!" he grunted as the razor-sharp leaves cut the edges of his arms. His flinching gave the vines enough to time to surround him and cut into him further. Then, one vine scraped across his chest and made a grinding noise.

"Just as I thought," Saria said. One of the vines wrapped around his wrist and he had to stop to cut it. Another wrapped around his stomach and ripped away the cloth there, leaving a bare stomach covered in small cuts. Another vine slashed across his back and the cloth fell off there. Three vines shot out toward his head from different directions and he moved enough not to get hit. However, they ripped the cloth off his head, letting his hair hang out. The head wrap had contained most of the hair, making it appear short, but now it was loose.

He realized what she was trying to do, but with so many vines striking at him from all directions, there was not much he could do. Several struck him directly in the chest, while others slashed across his chest. Eventually, the cloth fell off there, too. There was indeed a metal plate strapped over his upper torso to give it a male appearance.

"The face is all that's left," Saria said. He was smacked down by another vine. Exhausted from moving around and bleeding so much, it was relatively easy for the vines to wrap around his limbs and lift him up. Suddenly, he reverted back to Zelda.

"I'll won't let Sheik take the deathblow," Zelda said sadly. The thorny vines on her limbs tightened and blood began to ooze out as she gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, dropping her sword.

"Suffer," Saria growled as she prepared to impale her.

"No!" Peach screamed, running up to Saria and slapping her. It was hard enough to knock Saria off her feet. Peach grabbed the sword and cut away the vines. "C'mon, Zelda! Let's go!"

"You're not going anywhere!" Saria yelled, holding her cheek. "Now, you both get to die!" The room rumbled and vines shot up around the room, trapping everyone in the center. A large Piranha Plant burst through the wall and snapped away. Saria summoned vines that drilled through the walls and ceiling.

"Saria, stop this!" Zelda cried. "None of this has to happen! Prophecy isn't absolute!"

"It's too late!" Saria screamed, calling up a whirlwind of leaves that blew around the room.

"Aaaaaah!" Peach shrieked when she saw a bloody cut along her arm. The Piranha Plant lunged out of the wall at them, but they dived to the side where Saria was.

"I suppose I'll have to do this personally," Saria said, growing a thorny stick out of the ground and grabbing onto the smooth end. She raised the weapon above them and savored her imminent victory. Unexpectedly, Zelda grabbed back her sword and stabbed Saria in the stomach. She dropped the stick instantly and grasped her stomach, backing away toward the snapping Piranha Plant.

"Forgive me!" Zelda cried, running forward and pushing Saria into the plant's jaws. It quickly latched onto the dumbstruck little girl and gulped her down. Everything suddenly stopped. The leaves disintegrated; the vines all fell limp; the Piranha Plant collapsed. There was loud thud from the upper floor.

Everything became quiet once again, except for Zelda and Peach's panting. Zelda fell to her knees and felt her temples. "What have I done? My friend…Link's best friend…I killed her…just like she said I would…"

"No, Zelda," Peach panted, watching a drop of her blood drip onto the ground. "It wasn't the same. You didn't do those horrible things."

"But I killed her!" Zelda cried. "The Sage of Forest is dead because of me!"

"Let's just…calm down," Peach said, taking her hand and making her face her. "My magic should ease your pain." Soon, all of their physical injuries were gone. "There. Doesn't that feel better?"

Zelda was slightly calmer, yet she still felt helpless. Peach suddenly grasped her in a hug. All was quiet. It seemed Saria's Song would never play again.


	6. Between a Forest and a Mountain

**Between a Forest and a Mountain**

Zelda and Peach went to Kokiri Forest to rest at Link's house. Though Peach was relatively fine, Zelda was still upset over the events that had passed. She was so quiet and morose, Peach specifically made it a point to use Therapy on her every few hours. Zelda refused to leave the house for the entire day.

While Peach went out to meet the Kokiri, the Deku Sprout, and find food, Zelda idled in Link's small tree house. She looked through his collection of items that he had gathered along his travels. In his boredom, he had gone back to visit some temples and recover some of their treasures. They had been much less dangerous when Ganondorf was not around, though a few sentinels remained. The four masks he had brought from Termina had captured most of Zelda's attention. She often stared into the Fierce Deity Mask. Its resemblance to Link only worsened her mood, yet she found herself going back to look at it sooner or later.

When she came across the Fairy Ocarina Saria had carved for Link, her eyes watered and she could do nothing more than sulk. She eventually cried herself to sleep in his bed.

She awakened to the sound of birds chirping lightly outside. A beam of sunlight was shining directly on her through the window. For some reason, she was in better spirits. She heard gentle breathing nearby and noticed that Peach was sleeping in a kneeling position, lying her head on the bed. She had one arm draped across Zelda's form and the other was on Zelda's pillow. Zelda gently released herself and got out of bed. She soon discovered that Peach had left her a bowl of forest berries, fruits, Lon Lon Milk, and a few sandwiches she had packed before. Zelda quietly ate her fill.

_"She's quite a considerate maiden, isn't she?"_ Sheik said.

_"I really don't deserve to be treated so well,"_ Zelda replied. _"Not after…"_

_"Stop,"_ Sheik said abruptly. _"You've sulked enough for now. Peach has worked hard to help you. Don't undo her work."_ Zelda agreed. If she was to save Kakariko Village, she would have to get back to work. She went outside and climbed down the ladder. It was sunny today and all the Kokiri were out. Strangely, though, they were all quiet and none seemed to be playing. They barely noticed her as she passed by. It was as if somberness had overtaken the entire forest. She walked into the shadow of someone standing on one of the stone pillars in the center of the village.

What appeared to be a somewhat out of place girl was sitting on the ledge, staring into the sky thoughtfully. She was out of place for several reasons: She wore a green vest over a white shirt, which was irregular dress for their people. She had blonde hair and Zelda knew for a fact that there was only one Kokiri with blonde hair; she was standing on another pillar a short distance away. The last quality was that this girl was much too tall and adolescent looking to be a Kokiri. Whereas the other blonde girl had a puff of hair on both sides of her head, this one had her hair tied back while allowing it to drape along her shoulders slightly. She dusted off her skirt and hopped down and glanced into the sky again. She was almost exactly as tall as Zelda.

"The forest is dying," the girl said, turning to Zelda. "Great work."

"What?"

"Saria," the girl said, picking up a small sack from behind the pillar. "If she's not around, then this forest will decline. The Deku Sprout isn't strong enough to support everything on its own yet."

"How do you know…Who are you?"

"The name's Fado," the girl said, crossing her arms. "See how everyone is all bummed out? They're connected with the forest, which isn't in great shape right now. It's a real shame. This place used to be great. Of course, that isn't the only reason they have to be sad. Notice anything missing?"

Zelda had noticed that something else was wrong with the scene. The area seemed much darker than usual, even though it was another sunny day. "I'm not sure…"

"The fairies are all gone," Fado said, leaning against the pillar. "Not even a grain of fairy dust…"

"Where are they?"

"Heck if I know," Fado shrugged. "They were always here before. It would take something pretty major for all of them to leave."

"How do you know all of this?" Zelda asked. "Most Hylians don't even know that this area exists."

"I'm a Kokiri," Fado said simply. "Or at least…I used to be."

"Like…Link?" Zelda asked.

"No, he's a born Hylian. I was created by the Great Deku Tree just like _all_ the others. I _used_ to be the boss here, before Mido…That guy's missing too, come to think of it… Anyway, I was one of the few here that actually helped raise Link. Eventually, I got bored with this place. I wanted to see the what was outside the forest."

"Don't Kokiri die when they leave the forest?" Zelda asked.

"Technically," Fado said cryptically. "We don't just drop dead when we set foot outside though. More like, we lose our immortality. I thought it was worth it though…still do. Until things settle in Hyrule though, I'll just be hanging out here most of the time…You had a nice kingdom." She smiled and walked to the shop, leaving Zelda standing there. Zelda had no idea how the girl knew who she was, especially since not even most Hylians knew what she looked like.

"Zelda?" Peach said from behind her. Zelda turned around to face her. "Feeling better?"

"Much," Zelda smiled. "I'm not sure why, but I feel somewhat more at peace…Did you do anything?"

"My power is to heal," Peach smiled. "When you didn't react much to my other attempts, I put all my energy into making you feel better while we slept. I'm still a little tired from that Therapy, actually. It's nothing a little food won't fix though."

"Eat up," Zelda said, patting her back. "I think we've done enough here."

* * *

Zelda was having a bit more trouble navigating the Lost Woods than before. There were no vines to keep her from making the wrong turns. Similarly, there was no music from Saria's ocarina to guide the way either. It was only by chance that she and Peach encountered a Goron fighting off a Skull Kid in front of the secret entrance to Goron City. They watched as the angered Goron repeatedly attempted to pound the nimble imp, which repeatedly shot blow darts into the rock-man's thick skin. The Skull Kid had amazing speed that allowed him to dash from one spot to another. Just as it seemed the Goron had finally cornered the Skull Kid and was about to flatten him, the imp mysteriously disappeared with a single back flip.

"What is that?" Peach asked quietly.

"A Goron," Zelda answered. "They live in the mountains, which is where we need to go. Normally, they'd be very friendly. But according to Rauru…"

"Who's there?" the still angry Goron yelled. "Come out where I can see you!" Peach and Zelda crept back a few steps so that he would not see them. He was an average-looking Goron, but the anger they saw, which was rare for most Gorons, was frightening.

Soon, they heard footsteps coming from elsewhere. Another Goron walked out of another path and said, "You ran into those imps, didn't you?"

"I thought the forest children were supposed to be nice…" the scratched up Goron replied. "Nothing's going right at all! The forest is a maze; the only people here attack us; and that great music is gone!"

"…I found a way out," the other Goron offered.

"Really?"

"Yep. It goes right out into a huge field, but the area is flooded."

"Oh, well. We'll manage. Medi and Big should be able to make something. Let's get back home and tell the others." As the two Gorons began to walk away, Zelda and Peach followed quietly. It was only a few minutes before they reached the stone gate that led into Goron City.

Once the Gorons had entered, Zelda finished explaining that the Gorons were at war at war with the Hylians for some reason. "They really are a gentle people. But I've heard so many stories from Impa about how powerful they can be on the battlefield. If we are to reach the Fire Temple in Death Mountain Crater, we'll have to go through their territory. This gate should take us there."

"But the mountains are so far away," Peach said worriedly. "And that looks like a really dark cave. I'm not sure I like the idea of walking for miles in the dark."

"It's not an underground passage," Zelda smiled. "You aren't the only one with warps in her land."

"This still seems really dangerous…"

"I don't plan to fight any of them," Zelda smirked, taking out her pink and gold lyre. "We'll need to put them to sleep to avoid fighting them."

"I can only put them to sleep one by one," Peach said.

"I happen to know the Goron Lullaby, thanks to Link," Zelda smirked.

* * *

Goron City was a huge chamber full of a series of caverns underneath Death Mountain. There were ropes anchored to the walls to hold up a central platform at the top where the Goron Ruby had once been. The main curiosity was a giant Goron pot that held a huge flame in the center, lighting the entire city from the bottom. The Gorons were unusually active. By that, it is meant that they were actually walking around somewhat guardedly instead of being balled up into sleeping rocks as they usually were. They were still caught by surprise, however, when Zelda and Peach sprinted out of the cave. Zelda slowed to carefully walk across the ropes to the small platform, while Peach jumped and floated over.

Zelda closed her eyes and strummed the golden strings of her lyre as she sang the Goron Lullaby. Peach and the Gorons all stared at her in wonder. The end was signaled by a final strum of the instrument. "There."

"Um, Zelda…"

Zelda opened her eyes and was shocked to see very angry Gorons staring back at her from everywhere. "What did I do wrong? Did I use the wrong instrument?"

"Aaah! Such terrible singing!" one Goron roared.

"That Hylian ruined my childhood song!" another screamed.

"Get her!"

"My singing!" Zelda said, completely insulted. She was red with embarrassment. The Gorons began tug on the ropes, shaking the platform dangerously. Zelda looked around and could not see and good places to run. The Gorons had the area too well covered.

"Let me try," Peach said, taking the lyre. "Could you use your magic to make this louder?"

"I suppose so," Zelda said, grounding herself so that she would not fall off. Peach strummed the notes that she had just heard Zelda play and hummed them out loud. Zelda noticed pink heart shapes rising away from her as she hummed. The Gorons became quiet and ceased pulling the ropes. She noticed the sleepily enamored looks on their faces. Then, they all sat down and rolled up into sleeping balls.

"Sleep tight," Peach said softly.

Zelda was annoyed, to say the least. Not only could Peach apparently sing better, but she could also play the lyre at least as well. She closed her eyes and massaged her temples quietly.

"Something wrong?" Peach asked.

"…Nothing at all," Zelda said, returning to normal. "Now, we need to get some fire resistant clothing."

"Why?" Peach asked innocently enough.

"Well, I suppose you could always just walk into a volcano in flammable clothing."

"It's not as if we're going to burst into flames or anything," Peach said. "…Right?"

"Just follow me." Zelda jumped off the platform and rolled upon landing at the bottom of the city to soften her fall. Peach followed her a little too easily by dropping down and pausing in mid-air to flip into a hip drop.

Zelda led her to the shop cave and found the shopkeeper in a sleeping ball like the other Gorons. Once Peach saw the dull red tunics, she frowned and said, "I liked my Fire Dress more…"

"Fire Dress?"

"It was something I wore while Mario and a few others went into Barrel Volcano to retrieve one of the Seven Stars. It was probably the darkest thing I've ever worn. It was black with fire designs all over it. It was fire resistant and better looking than…this."

"_This_ is strong enough to let you move through lava for a few seconds unharmed," Zelda said. "Could your Fire Dress do that?"

"Hmm…Well, we did fall into the lava a lot, but it really hurt…"

"Just put the blasted thing on," Zelda sighed, tossing the tunic into her face. They wore the clothing on the outside and Peach had to admit that it was comfortable. Having learned a secret entrance to the crater from Link, Zelda led Peach to Darunia's room. They walked through a short, but dark tunnel until they encountered the somewhat dim light from wall-mounted torches. There was a great deal of heat emanating from the room. The secret entrance to the crater must have been open. Peach was the first to freeze at the sight of a trail of dried blood in the middle of the floor. What little furniture there was in the room was smashed to bits. The statue that blocked the secret entrance was in ruins.

"What happened here?" Zelda asked herself. She looked to Peach, who was still frozen in trembling shock and mumbling to herself. Zelda covered Peach's eyes, gently saying, "It's okay. Let's just move along, so we can get this over with." Keeping her hands over Peach's eyes, she led her through the secret entrance and into Death Mountain Crater.

Zelda removed her hand and sighed as she felt the wave of heat overtake her. Peach glanced around and said, "I kind of missed the lava pits."

"What?"

"Bowser always took me to a place full of boiling lava at some point," Peach said nostalgically. "I've been around lava pits so many times, it's not even scary anymore. If you just take a second to look into that ruby orange molten rock fizzing down there, you might see how romantic lava pits can be. They're like hot springs with red water."

"Red water that usually kills you on contact," Zelda muttered.

"How would you know?" Peach challenged her. "You've never even been around lava before, let alone fallen into it."

"As if you have," Zelda said. Then, before Peach could say anything, "You have, haven't you?"

Peach nodded.

"As expected…Anyway, the Fire Temple should be under that shrine over there." They walked to a broken bridge and could see the shrine and the Triforce pedestal on the other side.

"Would you like me to carry you across?" Peach offered.

"No, thank you," Zelda said, revealing the Hookshot she had taken from Link's house. She pointed it at the wooden post above the bridge. With a press of the button, the chained tip sprung out and into the post, pulling her to it and landing her on the other side of the bridge. Peach quickly floated over to join her and they walked to the Fire Temple. While Peach seemed strangely at ease in the inferno, perhaps from experience, Zelda was soaked in her own sweat.

Upon reaching the back of the shrine, they found a stone face with a strange expression on a pedestal. Staring at the face, Zelda suddenly shuddered unexplainably. Peach raised an eyebrow, sensing something. She grabbed Zelda's arm and pulled her away from pedestal. There was a brief rumble and the face was blown off a hidden hatch by a pillar of fire. The shock put cracks in the walls and sent the two royals flying. The pillar of fire disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

"Seen those plenty of times," Peach said, helping Zelda up. She peeked into the hatch and saw a metal ladder. It was a long way down, and the walls were smoldering, but it looked safe enough. "I think it's okay to go down."

Zelda looked for herself and, satisfied, hopped down, sliding along the wall to slow her descent. While Peach climbed down the ladder, Zelda made sure the immediate area was truly safe. Again, everything was smoking and covered in ash, but otherwise it was acceptable.


	7. Death of the Brotherhood

**Death of the Brotherhood**

Zelda walked ahead to check the first chamber. It was large, but relatively empty. There was a stone staircase, a few odd statues, and a few doors. She could tell from the black blast marks and the remnants of a door on the floor that the left doorway up the stairs was where the explosion had come from. The moment she stepped onto the first stair, she felt a bout of uneasiness that was similar to what she had felt in the forest. She took a step back, growing hesitant about going any further.

"So, which way are we going?" Peach said from behind her. "…Zelda?"

"Oh, sorry," Zelda said, snapping out of it. "I…think our destination is that door up there."

"All right, then," Peach said, beginning to climb the stairs. She glanced back at Zelda who was lagging behind. "Something wrong?"

"…Did you ever get the feeling that the room was angry with you?" Zelda asked, silently cursing how foolish she sounded.

"Don't worry about that," Peach smiled. "All this red, orange, and fire and lava have that sort of atmosphere. I've never been in a lava pit that looked friendly." Zelda quietly accepted her advice and joined her at the top of the stairs. After moving through the next doorway, they were in a chamber with a few platforms floating in the lava. The Boss Door, which seemed to have been melted through, was on the other side. Two hops and they were both across the lava and standing in front of the smoking slag that used to be the door.

Peach was the first to step through, while Zelda was more hesitant. She made a short prayer and stepped through. There was a solitary Goron with spiky blonde hair and hulking arms standing, with his back turned, in the center of a large platform surrounded by lava. There were several holes of lava around the platform.

"Is that him?" Peach whispered.

Zelda sighed heavily and called out, "Darunia."

The Goron turned around. In one hand was the Megaton Hammer. A dragon's skull was in the other. As usual, he had an angry look on his face. What was unusual though was the presence of tears on his face.

"What's the matter?" Peach asked.

"Two Sworn Brothers and a son," he said quietly. "One Brother is lost to the darkness. The other is lost to treachery. And my son…"

"What is it?" Zelda asked.

"You wretched girl!" he roared. "Don't you dare play innocent! First you bring your army here demanding shelter. Then, when we can't accommodate you like filthy lapdogs, you do something so low, I didn't think my Brother was capable of having such a daughter."

"What did I do?" Zelda asked, beginning to well up with tears.

"You murdered my son!" Darunia boomed, causing the room to rumble.

"No! I couldn't have!"

"She was with me the whole time!" Peach retorted. "She couldn't have done it."

"She had a small army invade the city," Darunia said bitterly, "with the sole purpose of striking down my son. Then, she had the nerve to show up just long enough to tell my people to 'think harder before making foolish decisions.' Come to think of it, you were there with her!"

"That's impossible," Peach said.

"No more lies!" he said, crushing the dragon skull in his fist. "Volvagia wasn't the true monster on this mountain…You are!"

"No!" Zelda whispered, stepping back gradually.

"I will avenge my son! I will burn you to ashes, just like Kakariko and the rest of your kind!" The room began to rumble and fire rocketed out of holes in the platform. Darunia took a fighting stance, brandishing the Megaton Hammer.

"Not again," Peach frowned.

"No!" Zelda yelled. She suddenly turned around and bolted out of the room.

"Zelda, wait!" Peach called out to her.

"Coward!" Darunia yelled. He roared and the whole temple began to rumble.

Peach glanced back to him and noticed thorny green tendrils slowly rising out of the platform. Her eyes widened and she ran out of the room as well.

* * *

Zelda frantically climbed the ladder to escape the temple. The quaking only increased her fear. Sheik was nearly screaming at her for leaving Peach behind like that. She was too afraid of facing Darunia to stop, though, until she was out of the hatch. Then, she stared down the hatch, impatiently waiting for Peach to appear. When Peach finally did appear, she dangled her Hookshot down for her to grab onto. Peach caught the hint and grabbed on, being pulled up instantly.

Without a word, Zelda ran for the bridge and used her Hookshot to cross back to the ledge. Peach was close behind, floating across. Another burst of fire ignited from the shrine and Darunia rolled out and uncurled himself.

"Zelda, I think we can calm down now," Peach said, grabbing onto her.

"No, we have to get out of here!" Zelda said. She shook Peach away and blasted the bridge, causing it to fall into the lava.

"He definitely can't cross now," Peach said. He suddenly leapt across the gap and landed in front of them. Zelda quickly tossed ash into his face to blind him and pulled Peach to the entrance to Goron City. Several flaming, thorny vines jutted out of the ground, blocking the way.

"Where do think you're going?" a familiar girl's voice echoed.

"Oh, no!" Zelda shuddered. She turned around and saw Saria sitting on a large, floating magic leaf beyond the ledge. She seemed slightly bigger than usual. Her Kokiri Tunic was torn in various areas, but there was plainly a Goron Tunic's material meshed in. Her hair was slightly longer, no longer bound by a hair band. Strangely, her eyes had turned green instead of the normal blue and her skin appeared unusually reddened, even for a person in a volcano.

"But you were eaten!" Peach exclaimed.

"Did you really think you'd get rid of me so easily?" Saria asked mockingly. "I wouldn't give you the satisfaction."

"I didn't do anything!" Zelda screamed, crying.

"RAWR!" Darunia roared. "I'll make sure you never escape alive!" He raised his arms and pounded the ground. The volcano shook and never stopped.

"What did you do?" Zelda said, backing away.

"Oh, he just sealed your fate," Saria said, causing the vines to tear down rocks to completely block the way to Goron City.

"The lava's rising!" Peach chimed.

"I'll make sure you die before it reaches you!" Darunia said, causing jets of fire to burst from the ground. Peach motioned for Zelda to follow her. She jumped a small gap and landed on another ledge. She began climbing the metal ladder there up the wall, with Zelda close behind. The jets of fire singed them, but they continued climbing anyway.

"Just keep moving!" Zelda yelled.

"You hit them high," Saria smirked at Darunia, "and I'll hit them low." The Goron nodded and dropped of the ledge, seemingly committing suicide. He rose up out of the lava holding onto an overgrown thorny Piranha Plant engulfed in flames, letting its large tongue hang out. It arched over the uppermost ground where Peach and Zelda were climbing to and let Darunia off there.

"Ahhh!" Peach screamed upon reaching the top and seeing the two waiting for her.

"What is that!" Zelda screamed, still on the ladder.

Saria floated close to her and said, "It told me it's a Lava Piranha. As you can see, it's perfectly suited to a place like this. I thought you'd appreciate getting used to seeing something like that before Big Brother and I send you to Hell."

"Saria, please!" Zelda cried woefully. "I haven't done anything to you or Darunia!"

"Now, I see I was right to attack you," Saria said, losing her humor. "You killed a child and lied about it. And you tried to kill me the other day and here you lie about it to my face. No one deserves to suffer you…"

"Saria, I…"

"I just feel sorry that Link thought you were such a good person," Saria said. "I'll be sure to mention your death as accident…for his sake. Goodbye, Zelda." A slender vine jutted out of the wall behind the ladder and through Zelda's heart. She could only make a small yelp and stare at Saria as the vine wiggled its way out of her back and wrapped tightly around her neck. The vine continued to flow out of the small hole and raised Zelda up to the upper floor where Peach, Darunia, and the Lava Piranha were. She attempted to reach her sword, but a shake of the tightening vine caused her to drop it.

"Zelda!" Peach screamed, seeing the blood dribble out of her chest. "Let her go!"

"Shut up!" Darunia yelled. One swing of his mighty fist sent her flying into a wall, stunned. The exit from the crater to the peak of Death Mountain was only a few feet away, but her dazed mind was on Zelda.

"Now, this war is one step closer to being over," Darunia said, staring into Zelda's pained eyes. "Finish her."

The Lava Piranha ignited its vine and filled it with thorns, causing Zelda more pain. With a wave of Saria's hand, the vine noose twisted and a distinct snapping noise was heard as Zelda's head was turned too far.

"Nooo!" Peach screamed, as Zelda was dropped with a thud.

"You're next," Darunia said, turning to her. He rolled into a ball and sped toward her, quickly turning into a spiky fireball. Peach dived out of the way, causing Darunia to grind into the wall momentarily.

"Take her," Saria directed the carnivorous plant.

She began to float toward the entrance when Darunia called out, "Where are you going?"

"I have to complete myself before I see Link," she said. "That girl is too weak to be a serious threat to me by herself. My little friend will gladly assist you, though."

"Thank you, Little Sister," Darunia said solemnly. "May your heart heal with time…so you can play that song once again someday." She nodded and floated out. He refocused his attention on Peach, who had gotten a hold of Zelda's sword and was fending off the Lava Piranaha.

The plant was constantly whipping its vines at her, while some of its miniature mouths spat fireballs at her. Darunia noticed that she was near the ledge. He jumped as high as he could and slammed the Megaton Hammer onto the ground. The shockwave was powerful enough to send cracks throughout the ground. The ledge began to slide off the rest of cliff. Peach jumped off in time to get to the cliff. The Lava Piranha took a deep breath and Darunia powered up with fiery energy.

Peach could see that she had a chance to escape, but she refused to leave without Zelda. She could easily see the lava getting dangerously high, and the volcanic explosions were becoming louder and more numerous. She raised her hand and said, "Here I go!" A pink glow emanated from her and hearts began to spin around her just as Darunia and the Lava Piranha unleashed their flames. The entire section where she had been standing was an inferno. Suddenly, all the flames, countered by the Heart Shield, withdrew into a ball of fire in her hand as she ran toward Zelda.

"What!" Darunia balked.

Before either could react, Peach tossed the ball at them, which burst into the aforementioned inferno. During their time of confusion, she dropped to her knees at Zelda's side, despite the growing pool of blood, and raised her arms. "Come Back, Zelda!" An otherworldly light shined onto Zelda's body and a star floated down into her. A few sparkles glittered around her and the blood flowed back into her. She suddenly opened her eyes and sat up.

"Huh?" Zelda said, confused.

"We have to go, now!" Peach yelled, pulling her to her feet.

"Oh, no you don't!" Darunia said, running out of the flames and grabbing Peach by her head, slamming her to the ground. Then, he saw Zelda staring at him and stared back in disbelief. "But how!"

Zelda suddenly disappeared in a green light and reappeared behind him. She put her glowing hand to the back of his head and said, "I'm sorry." She turned her face away and unleashed the Shining Ray.

"Awwwrrrr!" the Lava Piranha growled in her face. She raised the Megaton Hammer and smacked its face with it. It's head, or main flower, fell on the ground in a daze. She began to smash it repeatedly with the Megaton Hammer. When no part of it moved anymore, she blasted it with the Shining Ray. She saw the lava was creeping up onto their level. Peach had fainted on the floor, covered in the gore from Darunia's very fatal wound. Zelda sheathed the sword and made the Megaton Hammer disappear. She picked Peach up and carried Peach up the stairs and out of the crater.

Zelda's hopes quickly sank when she saw that Death Mountain Trail was already covered in a massive lava flow that was pouring out of a vent and down the mountain toward the Shadow Barrier. She could see the glow of lava from the path to the crater grow brighter as more lava built up.

"Hey, who is that?" a deep voice echoed. She saw the massive Biggoron rise out of the side of the mountain and stare down at her. He became enraged when he saw that it was a Hylian. Zelda panicked when he raised his arms above them, preparing to crush them. She and Peach were suddenly snatched from the ground just before Biggoron bashed the mountainside, causing even more lava to bleed through. She looked up and saw that they were being carried away from the mountain by a giant owl.

"It's a good thing I found you," the owl said, holding onto them tightly. "That was a close one."

"You're that owl, um, Gabora," Zelda said, trying to remember what Link had said his name was.

"Kaepora Gaebora, actually," he said. "What's the matter with your friend there?"

"She doesn't handle blood well…Where are you taking us?"

"The safest place for you is Lon Lon Ranch…or Tavern, as it may be." Kaepora dived down the mountainside speedily already nearing the flooded Hyrule Field. He dipped Peach and Zelda into the water briefly and gained altitude.

"Hey, what's going on?" Peach asked, now fully awake and cleansed of the mess.

"Now Death Mountain is erupting even more," Zelda said disappointedly, looking back at the exploding mountaintop. "Now, there's no way we can save Kakariko."

"It will cease in time," Kaepora said reassuringly. "Darunia seems to have severely waned in power."

"That's because…he's dead," Zelda said. "I was forced to destroy him when I could not reason with him. I woke up just in time to save Peach…I don't know how I survived Saria's last assault."

"…You didn't," Peach said meekly.

"How else would you explain me waking up like that?"

"It's another one of my special abilities," Peach said. "Come Back restores life to the fallen."

"…I see," Zelda said humbly. "I'm sorry you had to see all that."

"Why is all this happening? You didn't do anything. I was with you the whole time."

"This appears to be the work of a third party," Kaepora said. "Lately, I've noticed strange behavior in those who have awakened as sages. An ancient madness has taken hold of them, the type of rage I have not seen since the beginning of the Great War. Despite the danger they pose to Hyrule and you in particular, Zelda, you must avoid destroying them. They are still the protectors of the Triforce. Great anger lies in their hearts, yet I have sensed no evil."

"That is true," Zelda nodded. "But how will I be able to reason with them if they try to kill me on the spot?"

"I'm afraid I don't know the answer…" he said as the island of Lon Lon Ranch appeared on the horizon. The water had spread and risen. "Princess Ruto is waiting for you in the Water Temple. That is your next destination. You should take some time to rest in relative safety."

"Where is Saria?"

Peach uncomfortably replied, "She left after you…well, she left early."

The owl let them down at the entrance and landed himself on nearby tree. There was a flash of lightning in the distance, soon followed by crackling thunder. Black clouds were gathering in the sky overhead. "A bad omen…Dark times ahead."


	8. Certain Friends

**Certain Friends…**

Death Mountain's final eruption had finally ended. The billows of smoke had caused a thunderstorm that had also passed by nightfall. Lon Lon Ranch was always quiet during the middle of the night. The only sound now was that of the persistent rain that had outlived the storm. Malon had once again invited them to stay in her secret room. Peach herself was sleeping very comfortably in the cozy, if humble setting. She was having a particularly nice dream, as could be told by the wide smile on her face. Unbeknownst to her, Zelda and Malon were not sleeping nor were they even in the crawlspace.

Instead, they were outside walking in the rain. Up to this point, Zelda had said nothing more than asking Malon to walk with her. Malon asked nothing, but was still curious. Zelda had been very quiet ever since first arriving. Neither seemed bothered by the rain as they continued into the pasture. Zelda finally stopped and sat down against the fence. She patted the ground next to her and smiled somberly. Malon took a seat next to her.

"Sorry for dragging you out here like this," Zelda said humbly. "I…I just wanted to talk. We haven't talked to one another for a while, especially since I've been gone so long."

"Don't worry about it," Malon said. "I'm just glad to see that you're safe…You've been looking down since you got here. What's wrong?"

"I don't want Peach to know this, but…I'm starting to have doubts…"

"About what?"

"Saving Hyrule." Malon's eyebrows raised, but Zelda stopped her before she could say anything. "Hear me out. I really do care about this land. I care about everyone who lives here, except maybe Ganondorf…But I don't think I can save it. It's so…difficult. Am I just being a coward?"

"Of course not, Zel. It's okay to be scared when you're going into evil's territory. But just remember why you're doing it: for your friends, your homeland, and for yourself. That's what Link always said."

"It's not that simple," Zelda said, feeling tears coming on.

"Just tell me what's wrong," Malon said, taking her hand.

"I haven't been going into evil's territory," Zelda said, counting on the rain to hide her tears. "Though the temples do have some of Ganondorf's minions…the real threats are the Sages themselves."

"You don't mean…"

"Both Saria and Darunia, the leader of the Gorons, tried to kill me."

"Why?"

"Saria believes I'm going to do something horrible. Darunia thought I killed his son. I was with Peach the whole time! I couldn't have!"

"I believe you," Malon said in a hushed voice.

"I'm not sure if _I_ believe myself," Zelda sobbed. "I tried to reason with them…In the Forest Temple, I actually thought I killed Saria. In Death Mountain crater, she actually slew me. Peach used her magic to revive me…but only in time for me to kill Darunia before he was able to eliminate her…"

"Oh, Zelda…" Malon said, shocked.

"So far, I'm only proving Saria right," Zelda said, covering her face. "What if I did do horrible things? I don't even know when those four months passed by. That would have been plenty of time to…to…" Zelda could say no more, breaking down into full-blown crying.

"No!" Malon said, holding Zelda's face so that they looked into each other's eyes. "You're not a bad person, Zelda. I don't care what _anyone_ says. You are my best friend. I know you. You would never do horrible things, especially not things that warrant your murder. Maybe Ganondorf warped their minds or used some sort of illusion…"

"Their souls were free of evil," Zelda said, looking away. "Ganondorf could not have done anything to them. I…I haven't even been really fighting evil here, just people who are supposed to be my allies and friends. What's worse, the things that Saria said about me…they were all dreams I had…or nightmares…maybe even prophecies…What if I have to kill Ruto? Or…Impa? I couldn't live with myself if…"

"Don't even think about it!" Malon said, bringing her into a hug. She was crying herself, but the rain had already wetted her face. "Just don't…You mean too much to me."

It had been a long time since Zelda had ever been embraced by Malon like that, yet it felt so familiar. She had a similar warmth and gentleness to Peach. Malon's full head of hair shielded her from the rain. The rain actually made her seem more beautiful. Zelda got a spark of jealousy. There was a distinct possibility Malon would be more attractive than her in Link's eyes. Zelda smiled and whispered, "Thank you, Malon. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Just do what you have to do," Malon smiled back. "That's what Link would say." She looked into the night sky and said, "It doesn't look like it's going to stop raining anytime soon. Want to head back inside?"

"Actually, if you don't mind," Zelda replied, "would it be okay to just sleep out here?"

"You'd catch a cold in this rain," Malon said, standing up.

"I mean under that," Zelda said, pointing to the horses' feeding shelter.

"Don't you remember what I said about sleeping outside?" Malon reminded her.

"Well, I was hoping…that you'd join me," Zelda said shyly. Malon was somewhat taken by surprise. "Just like old times…except here instead of my courtyard."

"But we had blankets and guards and…"

"Please?" Zelda asked sweetly, taking her hand.

"…All right," Malon said, as her face melted into a smile once again. They did not seem to mind the slightly muddy ground as they walked to the shelter. "It's been at least three years since we last slept outside. Are you sure you won't get cold, though?"

"You and your dress should be enough to keep me warm," Zelda said slyly as they sat down against the wall of the shelter.

"…Heeey! Are you calling me fat?" Malon said, folding her arms.

"No…" Zelda said, holding back a smile as she snuggled up against her. "I'm just saying you have a bigger heart than me…and I'm thinner."

"You better not tell the Gerudos about this," Malon chuckled, wrapping her arms around Zelda. "They'll start getting weird ideas about me."

"I wouldn't be surprised if some of them started flirting with you," Zelda giggled sleepily. "Goodnight, Malon. Thanks again."

"Night, Zelda," Malon said, giving her a peck on the cheek. "Sweet dreams."

* * *

Zelda awakened lying against the gentle rise and fall of Malon's breathing. Malon had used her brown apron as a makeshift blanket for the both of them. They were still quite damp from walking in the rain earlier. In fact, she could still hear the rain. Zelda soon realized that it was Malon's light, but annoying snoring that had awakened her. She placed her hand over Malon's mouth to stop the wheezing sound. She then, readjusted herself and laid her head back against Malon.

"Isn't that sweet?"

Zelda opened one annoyed eye and saw Sofuru, the leader of this particular group of Gerudos, sitting in front of her with her legs folded. "What do you want?"

"A large owl is sitting outside," she said with a raised eyebrow. "A large, talking owl… He requested the audience of you and the other blonde. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Don't get any funny ideas," Zelda said, closing her eyes. "This is a practice from our younger days. Certain friends are just so special…"

"Spare me the mush," Sofuru said, standing up. "The owl said something about Lake Hylia. You aren't planning on going there, are you?"

"And if I am," Zelda scowled.

"Admirable, but stupid," she replied. "Even if you took that Dodongo, Queen Ruto would wipe you out before you got anywhere near the lake. It hasn't' stopped raining…"

"Wait, did you say queen?" Zelda asked, trying not to wake Malon.

"Yeah," she sighed, standing up. "She's been queen for a while now. Ever since her father kicked the bucket. She's the one who's been flooding the land. This rain hasn't been helping either. We're being pushed back to the northwestern end of Hyrule."

"Thank you for the information," Zelda said.

"If we have to leave," Sofuru said, walking away, "I'll be sure to allow Malon, and perhaps her family, to join us."

"Ready to wake Peach?" Malon said, giving Zelda a gentle squeeze.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Since you tried to suffocate me," Malon chuckled.

* * *

Zelda and Malon returned to the crawlspace and found Peach still sleeping.

"She seems to be enjoying her sleep," Malon smiled.

"Oh, Mario," she sighed, beginning to blush.

"Perhaps a bit too much," Zelda rolled her eyes.

Peach began to make uncomfortable faces and grunted as she began to squirm around. "No…Mario, come back…Mario…AAAAHHHH!" she shrieked springing up with her eyes wide open.

"Are you okay?" Zelda asked, kneeling down to her.

"That must have been a nightmare," Malon said. "You okay?"

"Mario…I felt him."

"More than I needed to hear," Zelda muttered.

"No, I mean I sensed him," Peach said frantically. "As if he was nearby…I saw where he was…is? Was it…? Smiling…laughing… It's gone. "

"I know you miss him," Zelda said gently. "But it was just a dream."

"…You're right. Sorry."

"Our feathered friend is back. He wants to talk to us."

"Okay."

* * *

Peach and Zelda stepped outside the ranch and saw that they were in ankle-deep water. The floodwater had been rising steadily, just as Sofuru said.

"Hoot, hoot! Up here!" The owl was perched on the outer wall of the ranch, turning its head upside down. "I see you've noticed the flood. This is Ruto's doing."

"Why is she doing this?" Zelda asked, having to yell it over the sound of rain.

"She's trying to flush you out, literally," he said, turning his head back right side up. "She must be stopped today."

"How? I refuse to kill her."

"I can't give you any solutions, my dear, hoot. However, I can provide transportation. She has also placed a barrier around Lake Hylia, just like the previous sages you've encountered. You won't be able to warp there."

"How can I face her?" Zelda asked quietly.

"Zelda," Peach said. "If we just try to talk to her, she might come around."

"That wouldn't be a bad idea," Kaepora said. "Even if it doesn't work, you could still get a clue as to exactly what is causing this strange behavior in the sages. Hoot, hoot!"

"…Maybe we should eat first," Zelda said, turning back into the ranch.

"Very well, Zelda," the owl hooted. "But be warned; the longer you stall, the more danger you place everyone in. And be sure to eat lightly. You wouldn't want to get a cramp out in the water, now would you? Hoot hoot! I'll be here when you think you're ready."

* * *

Zelda and Peach ate in the tavern, watching Malon sing on a stage of crates. Every person and monster watching was completely enthralled by her. Zelda was equally captivated, but her face revealed more sadness than awe.

"Cheer up, Zelda," Peach said, handing her another glass of milk. "Everything will be all right."

"They certainly don't feel all right," she said, staring at Malon. "I feel like something horrible is going to happen. Perhaps I should just give myself up to Ruto. At least then, Hyrule would be safe."

"You don't even know what she has against you," Peach scolded her. "Stop being so pessimistic!"

"How does it feel, Peach?"

"What?"

"To be in a world like this…" Zelda said distantly. "In your world, you had plenty of friends with resources and magical powers to help you. Here, most of my friends are against me. There are no armies or machines to help. Just magic that can only cause pain and suffering."

"Zelda, you're still child," Peach said softly.

"Excuse me?"

"A very mature and wise child, but still a child nonetheless. You have to realize that terrible things happen just about everyone sooner or later. Sometimes there is no good reason why they happen. They just do. A child will cry and complain, and then give up easily. An adult, on the other hand, will take steps to fix the problem. And if she doesn't get it right the first time, she'll try again and again until she does…Bowser kidnapped me for the first time when I was around your age. I was so scared; I didn't know what to do. I almost gave up hope. But then Mario and Luigi came and rescued me. They told me how difficult it was to reach me. They told me about sleepless nights, bitterly cold winds, blazing heat, and never-ending barrages of hammers…"

"You almost had me," Zelda muttered.

"The point is they never gave up," Peach said more sternly. "When Bowser kidnapped me once again, they saved me again, speaking of even more difficult challenges. The fact that they would do all that for me, while I sat there and did nothing…It really means that they were adults when I was not. Ever since, I've been trying to help them however I could, regardless of whether or not I had been kidnapped. I grew up. Now, it's time for you to grow up. Do you understand?"

"I will do what I have to do," Zelda said, repeating Malon's words. "I think I'm ready. I'm just a little scared…"

"There's nothing wrong with that," Peach smiled. "Besides, I'll be there for you."

"Thank you."

* * *

Zelda looked back over her shoulder as Malon waved goodbye from the increasingly distant ranch. Kaepora held Zelda and Peach tightly in his talons and swiftly flapped higher into the sky. They could see that the floodwaters had submerged nearly all of Hyrule outside of Lon Lon Ranch and Gerudo Valley. She could see the path to Kakariko Village almost completely flooded, though the Shadow Barrier was still up. Once they were above Lake Hylia, which was no longer a lake because of the flood, they could see dozens of Zoras about. The Lakeside Laboratory had collapsed into the lake. Many Zoras looked up toward the three. Kaepora let them down on the island in the center of the water. It was just above the water.

"I'll be in the area," he said, swooping away.

"All those Zoras…" Zelda said, staring out at the numerous river folk. "How do we get to the bottom of this water, let alone without getting marauded by Zoras?"

"Can't you swim?" Peach said, jumping in.

"I can only dive so far."

"I'll swim you down then," Peach offered.

"…Alright," Zelda said, noticing that none of the Zoras were approaching. She slid into the water and held onto Peach. Before they could do anything more, they were sucked down to the floor of the lake and into the Water Temple.


	9. Broken Promises

**Broken Promises**

The strong current carried of the water spilled Peach and Zelda into the main chamber of the Water Temple. The water was not at its maximum height, so the fall was a bit far. They popped to the surface of the water and looked around.

"That was strange," Peach said. Then, she saw the serious look on Zelda's face. She was looking up at a higher ledge on the central tower in the in front of them.

"Ruto," she said.

"I see you finally decided to show up," a voice came from above. They could not see all of her, but her crossed legs were hanging over the uppermost ledge of the tower.

"Why are you doing this?" Zelda said, knowing it was something bad.

"Don't insult me," Ruto said. "You know damn well why you're here."

"I honestly don't…"

"Then, let me refresh your memory. I'm sure you've no doubt heard about my new title."

"Queen Ruto…Your father died."

"He didn't just die! You killed him, you heartless bitch!"

"No, I…"

"And then you killed Lord Jabu-jabu! My god, Zelda!"

Zelda remained quiet for a few seconds and asked, "Anything else?"

Ruto dropped down, onto the ledge that was just above the water's surface. Zelda shuddered when she saw her. Her once elegant fins were now torn and ragged, just as they had been in her dream. Likewise, her breathing looked strained. "This is what you did to me. All of this…just to try and steal Link away from me and who knows what else. Why Zelda? You know I would never force him to marry me over some promise he made when he was ten! I would never force him to break a promise!"

"What do you mean?"

Ruto briefly had a look of surprise and then seethed. "…I won't waste anymore words on you." She held her arms to her sides, letting the shredded remains of her fins fall limply along her elbows. Underneath them were steel blades embedded in her arms, reminiscent of a warrior Zora's fins. The water began to churn and Peach and Zelda were blasted to the upper ledge. Once they regained their footing, they saw several columns of water rise up around the tower.

"What do we do?" Peach asked.

"Get back," Zelda said, charging fiery energy. Peach backed away as a dome of fire spread out around Zelda and evaporated the water columns. Then, she yelled down to Ruto, "You're wasting your energy! I didn't do any of those things to you!"

A water form of Ruto flowed up in another column and spoke, "As if your word is worth anything anymore." The clone outreached its arm and water flew out towards Zelda. Zelda used another fire spell to counter the water. Suddenly, water shot up behind Peach and slammed her into the wall.

"Leave her out of this!" Zelda yelled.

"I'm not taking any chances like the others," the clone gurgled.

"You know about them?" Zelda said, evaporating the clone with a Fire Arrow.

"Of course, you idiot!" another water clone spat. "We may be on a vendetta, but it's still our duty to protect the Triforce. We're just making sure you never get your filthy hands on it. Now, it's time to stop playing around!" The clone disappeared as a swirl of water blasts came around the tower and knocked Zelda and Peach into the outer walls of the temple. Suddenly, all the water drained out of the temple, leaving them to fall all the way to the sandy bottom floor.

"Please, stop this!" Peach yelled out. "Zelda was with me the whole time. She couldn't have done anything to you." Water poured into the chamber from every open passage, flooding the chamber so fast that they didn't even float to the surface yet. Ruto swam down as fast as a shark and punched Zelda in the face. She threw more punches that Zelda could not defend against easily. When she grabbed Ruto's wrists, Ruto electrified herself and pushed Zelda away with a strong current. As she was about to follow up with a slash of her blades, Peach bashed her over the head with her crown from behind, temporarily dazing her. Peach took the chance to help Zelda up to the surface.

"I have to reason with her," Zelda coughed, pulling herself onto the ledge. "We'll have to restrain her first, though."

"Right," Peach said, holding onto the ledge. "But how do…" She was abruptly pulled under.

"Peach!" Zelda screamed, diving in. She didn't get far because another blast of water shot her back onto the ledge. She could see Peach being held to the bottom by a strong current. Ruto lunged out of the water, attempting to strike her once again. Zelda ducked the blow and the Zora rolled behind her and came to her feet.

"You're not going anywhere!" Ruto yelled.

"Not if I can help it!" Zelda said, attempting to jump in once again. This time, the water reached out and slammed her back. She turned to Ruto with her sword in time to block a blade strike. Ruto remained on the offensive, showing off surprising skill. Punches, as well as blocks, easily turned into deadly slashes. Then, she brought up her electric shield once again and continued to fight directly. Zelda had to constantly back up to not be electrocuted. She had to use her magical shield to block any blows that could not be dodged. A spurt of water nearby caught her attention and Ruto took the opportunity to attempt another punch in the face. Zelda leaned back and Ruto turned it into a stabbing elbow attack. Zelda fell backwards, missing the attack, but Ruto simply grazed her webbed foot against Zelda's leg to electrocute her.

"AAAAAAH!" Zelda screamed. She shakily moved away and continued to defend.

_"We have to attack!"_ Sheik said urgently. _"Peach can't hold her breath much longer!"_

_"Any worthwhile attack might be lethal,"_ Zelda said back. "I won't kill Ruto!"

"All the easier for me," Ruto said, jumping at her with a low blade sweep. Zelda's leg was cut and she fell. Just as Ruto attempted to plunge her elbow blades into Zelda's body, she grabbed Ruto's wrists, screaming as she was electrocuted. Yet still she held on. Then, she slammed Ruto into the wall of the tower.

"I don't…want to fight!" she winced, holding her there.

"Then, shut up and die!" Ruto growled, pushing back. Zelda used Ruto's momentum to flip her into the water, while coming down with her. She wasted no time in spotting Peach and began to swim there. Peach was obviously having trouble, since she had stopped struggling and was trying to conserve oxygen and energy by holding her hands over her face. Unfortunately, a rush of water thrust Zelda out of the pool and pressed her against the outer wall of the tower. It continued to hold her there, seemingly attempting to crush her against the stone wall.

_"We have to break free!"_ Sheik yelled.

_"I know!"_ Zelda replied in frustration. She attempted her telekinesis, but Ruto's hydrokinesis was too strong.

_"Use it on Ruto!"_

_"No!"_

_"It's the only way!"_

_"I won't murder another friend!"_

_"But Zelda…"_

_"No!"_

_"Then, let me!"_

_"No!"_

"Something wrong, Zel?" Ruto mocked her, standing on the ledge of the tower. "Realizing that you and your little friend are about be floating face down in the water soon?"

"Urraaagh!" Zelda grunted as the water pressed harder. Her eyes turned blood red and she scowled at Ruto. She outstretched her hand and took a psychic hold over Ruto's throat.

_"What are you doing?"_ Zelda exclaimed mentally.

"Ugh!" Ruto gasped, grabbing her own throat. "I knew…you'd try this…sooner…or later!" She put a foot into the water and electrified the flow pressing into Zelda.

Zelda relinquished the psychic hold. She took out her Hookshot and shot the chain into the target above Ruto. She escaped the water before the electricity could reach her and kicked Ruto away. Ruto backflipped and held her blades up. As she lunged forth with her electric shield still up, Zelda blocked both blades with her sword, bearing the electrocution, and used her other hand to stab Ruto's stomach with Sheik's dagger.

"Ah!" Ruto yelped, doubling over and losing the shield.

_"No! Stop it!"_ Zelda cried, struggling to retake control.

While Ruto was still hunched over, Zelda sliced across her face, knocking Ruto on her back. Ruto, startled, touched her face and felt the bloody scar. Zelda smacked her across the face with the broadside of her sword, further dazing Ruto. Sheathing her weapons, Zelda then jumped on her stomach and grabbed onto the blades embedded in the Zora's forearms.

"Aaah! What are you doing!" Ruto cried in pain. With a sickening sound that was a mix of a squish and a clang, the blades were ripped out of Ruto's arms. Ruto was screaming and struggling to scoot away as her arms bled.

_"Sheik, stop this now!"_

Zelda dropped down onto Ruto, who was still pinned down. The possessed Hylian then raised the fin blades and began to mercilessly plunge them into Ruto's chest.

Ruto screamed in agony, "No! I give up! Please, stop!"

Zelda panted after having heavily wounded her. By now, Ruto was merely whimpering and crying.

_"Can't you see that's enough!"_ Zelda's body was suddenly replaced by Sheik's, though the red eyes remained the same.

"I just wanted," Ruto whispered tearfully, choking on her own blood, "to avenge the people you took from me…and to protect Link… I promised…I promised to end your reign of terror…I've failed…But at least I got one of you…Now the others…" At that, Sheik sent the finishing blow with both blades and twisted them. Ruto breathed no more.

_"You bastard!"_ Zelda screamed at him. Ignoring her endless curses, he tossed the blades aside and dived deep underwater. Fortunately, the water was draining quickly and it was only a matter of seconds before he reached Peach's motionless form, lying on the ground.

"Peach, wake up!" he said, turning her on her back. She did not respond at all. He gently slapped her cheek. "Peach? Come on, Peach!" he said, shaking her. Still she did not respond. He put his ear to her chest and was stricken with horror that she was not breathing. Even Zelda stopped yelling at him. He ripped off his veil and began to attempt mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. She remained still.

"Don't you dare die on me!" he yelled. She still was not breathing. He put his ear to her chest once more and found that her heart was no longer beating. Using his dagger, he cut her dress open down from her collar to her girdle. Then, he began doing chest compressions. "Come on! Don't give up!" He occasionally breathed into her mouth, but kept up the compressions, growing desperate. He was pained when he felt her ribs break under his forcefulness, but continued. He began to cry as the futility of his actions started to set in.

_"Sheik…"_ Zelda began.

"Silence, Zelda!" Sheik shouted, continuing the compressions. "I'm not giving up!" He continued until his arms were too tired to press any more. Ten minutes had passed since he began and he could do no more. He panted and gazed into her damp face, moving a tress out of her closed eyes. He could bear no more and turned away to sob quietly to himself.

A minute later, he heard coughing in her direction. He looked and saw her coughing up water and struggling to breath. He rushed over and sat her up. "Peach, you're okay!" He was so overjoyed, he grasped her in a tight hug before she was ready. "I'm so glad you're alive!"

She coughed over his shoulder, still trying to catch her breath and in a daze. "…My chest hurts…"

"I was trying to save you," Sheik said, releasing her and looking into her eyes. "I was afraid I'd lost you."

"Oh…" she said, before coughing again. "It must have been…that green mushroom I ate in Delfino…Did you have to…tear my dress open?"

"I didn't want it to get in the way," he smiled blushingly. "Besides, it's not as if I removed your undergarments. Just the excess clothing."

She just now noticed that his face was no longer hidden. "You look just like Zelda…but with a tan…"

"It's her body," Sheik smiled. Then, a pang of guilt struck him as he remembered what he did to Ruto against Zelda's wishes. "Shall we leave?"

Suddenly, something pierced through Sheik from behind and continued through Peach's stomach as well. They were both lifted up into the air by whatever had impaled them. Peach could see that it was but one of many sharp, thorny vines that had slithered out of the tower.

A woman's voice spoke, "It seems I'll have to personally do away with you."

"Ah! Peach…Who is it? I've never heard that voice before…" Sheik winced, grabbing a hold of the vine. It turned so that they could both see the woman standing in the doorway of one of the tower's entrances.

It was a barefooted, young lady with long chartreuse hair and piercing green eyes. She wore a short, dark green skirt and a similarly colored, though somewhat raggedy shirt that stopped just below her breasts. "Please, excuse my state of dress. I didn't have much time to make clothing."

"Who are you?" Sheik asked.

"Don't tell me you can't see," she said. "I'm Saria, the little girl you left for dead in the Forest Temple. The one who thought she did the same to you in Death Mountain."

"But how?"

"Less talking, more dying," she said, causing the vines to spin through the two. They screamed and writhed in agony. "Resisting will only cause you more pain…" She let the vine lower back down to the bottom and watched them squirm.

"Peach…" Sheik said, taking her hand. "I'm…so sorry…I've failed to protect you so many times…"

"Sheik…now's not the time," Peach winced, still having not fully recovered from inhaling so much water.

"I need to say this before it's too late!" he choked. "Peach, I…I love you. I've felt this way…since…since I first met you!"

"Cut it!" Peach screamed, keeping her eyes closed.

"I understand if you don't feel the same way," Sheik said regretfully.

"No, I mean cut the vine!" Peach coughed. "I can't keep us alive much longer!" She had been healing the both of them since the would-be lethal blow was made. Sheik realized this and immediately went to work on cutting the vine with his dagger.

"Hurry!" Peach grunted, coughing up blood. She had been keeping her eyes closed to avoid the sight of the cursed fluid. The vine was trying to anchor them down by plowing into the outer walls of the chamber. Sheik could already feel her power fading as he weakened and the pain increased. He managed to cut the part of the vine between them, letting her plop to the floor. He quickly moved himself off of the rest of the vine and dropped down with her. She healed them just enough to stop the bleeding, but reserved the rest of her magic.

"We're leaving!" Sheik said, as Piranha heads began to burst out of the tower all over. He held Peach close and took out his lyre. After quickly playing an ineffective Nocturne of Shadow, he switched to Prelude of Light. "Dammit!" he cursed, as it also proved ineffectual.

Peach went into a bought of coughing before saying, "There's more of…Watch out for the…Piranha Plants." Sheik turned around and saw the bestial plants continue to burst out of the tower. Vines were beginning to creep out of other sections of the temple.

Saria's mature voice echoed, "You can't warp out of here. When you slaughtered Ruto, I replaced her barrier around Hylia with my own. There's no escape."

Peach continued to cough over Sheik's shoulder. He took a moment to pick up his veil and cover his face. As a drooling Piranha Plant growled above them, he took her in his arms once again and played the Serenade of Water. To Saria's surprise, Sheik and Peach disappeared in a swirl of blue sparkles.

"Cowardice will only lead to more suffering," Saria said quietly, stepping onto a large stalk.

* * *

Sheik and Peach materialized atop the tall island in the middle of Lake Hylia, directly above the temple. Unfortunately, they were surrounded by well-armed Zoras. Some had swords. Others had lances. A few had natural fin blades.

"Hands up, Hylian scum!" one of the Zoras ordered.

"Where is Queen Ruto?" another demanded. Before Sheik could reply, the island began to rumble. The dead tree that had always been on the island began to bloom with leaves and flowers. Sheik threw down a Deku Nut to blind the Zoras and ran to the bridge, carrying Peach.

A massive Piranha head burst out of the center of the island, sending the Zoras flying in all directions. Sheik stopped to see the monster. It was the biggest creature he had ever seen. It towered above everything for miles. As it continued to surge out, countless lesser heads broke through the island, quaking the immediate area. It's core was a dangerous tangled patch of thorns and briars. Saria could be seen standing fearlessly on one of the vines near the top. She caught Sheik's gaze and directed the Piranha Plant toward him. It lurched forth and accelerated its approach rather quickly for something that big with no real legs.

"Sheik," Peach hacked, holding on as tightly as her weakened state would allow. "We need to go…now!" He turned around and ran across the long bridge as fast as his pained body would take him. He had crossed to the miniature island with a solitary tombstone in a manner of minutes. Needless to say, his haste was costing him a great deal of energy. The Piranha Plant's weight collapsed the bridge once it reached the center. Sheik began his tired sprint across the next bridge to cliff near where the Lakeside Laboratory had been. The monster moved even more quickly through the water and extended its tendrils onto the bridge and began to pull at it. Some of the lesser heads began to spit fireballs, setting the bridge on fire. The stress was too great and the bridge soon snapped in half, with Peach holding onto Sheik, who held onto one of the ropes, dangling above the beast below. It had been purposely staying low, at Saria's request, to simply muddle with their fear.

"Is this how you want Link to remember you, Saria?" Sheik yelled angrily.

"I won't leave anybody behind to tell him," she replied, staring up at him. She reached into her hair and held a single leaf between her fingers. With a flick of the wrist, she sent the leaf flying above them, slicing the rope that held them above the plant's drooling maw. Unexpectedly, Sheik and Peach were whisked away by a flash of brown, leaving behind feathers.

"We'll see about that," the owl hooted, already in the distance with Sheik and Peach in his talons.

"You wouldn't dare!" Saria shouted. The Piranha Plant rose back up to its full height, pulled itself over the cliff and followed the owl through the miniature canyon back to Hyrule Field. It extended its vines to their limits, attempting to smack the owl out of the air or chomp on it with one of its lesser heads. The owl dodged expertly, diving until it was inches above the slowly receding floodwaters of Hyrule Field. Sheik was amazed by the pure speed of the owl. He noticed that they were heading north, while staying close to the eastern ridge.

Things became more difficult when the heads began spitting fireballs. The owl was quick enough to avoid them, but the large splashes in the water disrupted his flying. He flapped harder to gain altitude, but had to duck back down when the main head belched a jet of flame.

"I could use some assistance," Kaepora said, as they neared the river in the northeast, not far from Kakariko Village.

_"Zelda, if you wouldn't mind,"_ Sheik pleaded. _"Please, for Peach's sake."_ Peach was alert, yet she still looked ill and was coughing to a worrisome degree. He transformed into Zelda, who readied a fire arrow and shot it at the main head. The head burst into flames, yet remained unharmed, continuing its chase. She shot once again, only spreading the fire on the creature. Its flames grew and it spat fire from all heads.

"Not good!" the owl hooted, barely dodging the flames.

The Shadow Barrier was visible now. Saria was beginning to get nervous about the prospect of them reaching Kakariko Village and telling Link about what she had been doing. She had a particularly small sprout rise up to her. She poured a handful of Deku Seeds into its mouth and directed it to fire at the owl.

Kaepora was so busy with dodging fireballs he did not notice the small, but fast-flying projectiles until they struck him from behind. The pure shock caused him to drop Zelda and Peach. They hit the ground hard. Kaepora attempted to dive down to save them, but was snatched out of the air by a vine and devoured by one of the heads in a single gulp.

"Kaepora!" Zelda shrieked. She charged her Shining Ray and fired directly at the main head. One of the vines accidentally swept in the way and was blown to pieces, but quickly grew back. Zelda tried once again, only drawing fire from the mouths. Her blasts were not doing enough damage.

"Peach, I…" she stammered, putting up her shield to block the constant barrage and jets of flame. "I don't know if there's anything we can do any longer. I'm sorry… I wasn't able to keep my promise…"

Peach coughed and slowly stood up before the monster. "What did I tell you…about giving up?"

"But there's nothing I can…" Zelda stopped when she saw Peach materialize a small cherry bomb in her palm. "If my Shining Ray can't do it, what makes you think something that small will work?"

"Stand back…Zelda," Peach said, still coughing.

"You can't be seri…"

"I said stand back!" Peach said sternly, as the bomb became lit and a pink glow surrounded her. Zelda humbly did as told.

"You must be joking," Saria almost laughed.

"Psych Bomb!" Peach yelled harshly, pitching the puny explosive at a high arc. As it fell, her hair flared and she held her arms forward, screaming. The bomb seemed to have multiple after-images as it dropped into the middle of the Piranha Plant. The small, red explosion quickly grew to mammoth proportions, completely engulfing the entirety of the creature. A huge cloud of pink, peach-scented smog remained in its place.

"Peach…" Zelda gasped. "You…How did you…When did you…ugh…" She was dumbstruck by the sheer power Peach had concealed this whole time.

"I hate that attack," Peach whispered, falling to her knees. When the smoke cleared, all that remained were a few blackened husks of thorny vines. A charred arm draped over one of the vines and Saria painfully picked herself up. "It causes too much destruction." Peach then glowed pink briefly and a balloon popped, sending sparkles harmlessly into Saria. The Kokiri girl outstretched her arm and was shocked to see nothing happen.

"What's wrong?" she said, looking at her hands. "I can't hear the forest! What did you do!"

"Please, just give up," Peach said tiredly, attempting to resist coughing. "There's been enough suffering already."

"You'll never see Link again!" Saria screamed, running straight for them. Before she could get off a single punch, Peach smacked her down. The sound of it echoed throughout the field. She then picked up Saria and restrained her. Saria thrashed about, kicking and screaming.

"Saria, you're confused," Zelda said. "I didn't do anything to you before you attacked us in the Forest Temple. Can't you see something has been tricking you all? Your nightmares were an illusion to turn you against me. Which is the greater nightmare, Saria? Believing everything you thought you saw? Or Link finding out what you've done?" Saria paused, scowling into Zelda's eyes. She elbowed Peach in the stomach and swung around behind her, biting deep into her neck and shoulder with surprisingly sharp, carnivorous teeth.

"Aaah!" Peach yelped, as Saria shook her in her jaws, quickly drawing blood. She released Peach and pushed her away.

"No! No!" Zelda screamed as her eyes turned red at the sight of blood pouring out of Peach's neck as she lay on the ground, going unconscious. "Why Saria!"

"You have the nerve to threaten me!" Saria snarled in an inhuman voice, as she rose upon vines that surged out of the ground. "You dare to belittle my torment! You conceited, wretched Hylian! I will show you…the GREATEST nightmare!" Spikes grew along all parts of the vines. Saria herself turned a pale green and small thorns grew along her limbs. Her arms and legs grew like branches and she hardened like wood. Her fingers grew into claws and her hair grew into vines.

"Please, don't! Sheik, Saria…No!" Zelda cried as she struggled not to transform. Sheik overrode her and he took her place. He used the Hookshot to quickly get halfway up the tangle of vines. With quiet rage, he ran up the vines, effortlessly avoiding the thorns. When vines whipped at him, he jumped from vine to vine, using his dagger to keep up his speed.

"Suffer!" Saria growled, spewing out a poisonous mist of pollen. Sheik ran moved through it relatively unaffected because of his veil. He threw his needles in her face to distract her and moved up the length of the vine patch, digging his dagger into her trunk-like legs. She attempted to whip him away, but he simply kick-jumped from branch to vine and back, still climbing in the process. Her hair reached out to smother him, but he disappeared in a puff of smoke. He reappeared just above her and jammed his dagger into her body, dragging her downward as he fell. Her branches snapped and she fell like a tree, while he hopped to safety and tossed most of the last of his Deku Nuts at her simultaneously. They were enough to set her on fire.

"Damn you!" she screamed, swiping at him with her vine hair, while her limbs grew back quickly. He disappeared, using his last Deku Nut. He reappeared behind her, with the Megaton Hammer in hand, and bashed her over the head with it. Though she was totally knocked out, and bleeding green blood severely, she was still in flames and her warped body returned to her regular, though adult form. By any other standards, a person in flames and not moving would be considered dead. To Zelda's horror, he took out his sword and chopped her head off with one fell sweep. He lodged poison needles into her, which only fueled the fire.

"Aaaah!" he cried in pain, grabbing his head. Sparkles flew around him, as he shifted back and forth between Sheik and Zelda. Even their voices began to meld as Zelda screamed, "Get out of my body! Get out of my head! I hate you! I should have never let you in!" Then, Zelda fell to her knees, fully in control, as she panted before the massacre that was Saria's remains. She looked to Peach, and panicked. She ripped off nearly half of her own dress and frantically attempted to wrap Peach's wound. She calmed down a little once the bleeding stopped, but saw that Peach was dangerously pale. At least she was breathing and had a good pulse. Zelda looked around and saw that Lon Lon Ranch was half a day's run away. She would have to rely on the close proximity of Kakariko, an hour or two away by walking and still shrouded in shadow, if she hoped to save Peach's life.


	10. Arrival in Kakariko

**Arrival in Kakariko**

"Thus far, much of our quest has been in vain. As I approach the small village of Kakariko, I wonder what surprise Destiny has in store for me. She has already taken so much from me. Will she do the same in this next episode? When I reach Kakariko, will I meet the man I love and the woman I suckled from as a child? Or will I only meet despair and death as I have so frequently here? If Impa, like the others, wishes to eliminate me, then so be it. I can take no more punishment, be it physical or mental. And should that traitorous Sheikah who lurks in my body make any attempt on her person, I will end it all myself. His affections for Peach have clouded his mind and have caused us great heartache.

"As I wonder what it is that so attracts him to her, I find the answers come easily. She has so many enviable qualities: beauty, youthful cheeriness, kindness, mercy, and love. Throughout our entire journey, she has only killed once to my knowledge. As impressive as that was, she has regretfully admitted to a much higher number before I arrived in her land. I find it hard to believe, considering her track record. Her Psych Bomb has been her only lethal attack, while Sheik and I have killed nearly everything in our path. How is she capable of such effective restraint, while I exhaust myself so easily against every one of our challenges? Bolt, the Zeus Guy, was perhaps an exception…my magic was ineffective, Sheik's speed was useless, and Peach's turnip attack, though it surprised Bolt in its potency, proved little threat. I was beaten quite handily, while she suffered so greatly. Somehow, we survived, likely a plan of Bowser's to force her hand in marriage. And force it they did…for it was not death that Peach feared, at least not her own. It was my life she feared for. She sacrificed her freedom and kingdom just to end my torture.

"And this brings me to a question that has plagued me since then…Would I have done the same? Some time ago, I would have probably answered yes to that question immediately…But now I'm not so sure…not after seeing what horrors I am capable of. In the same situation, say with Ganondorf instead of Bowser for parallel effect, I'm not sure I would sacrifice myself and, more importantly, my kingdom to save the life of a person I've only known for a week. That prospect frightens me to no end. It seems my ever so lauded wisdom is betraying my heart. I have lost three friends so far, each who accused me of something I am…no…_was_ sure I didn't do. But as this quest continues, I see myself only supporting their arguments. Those dreams that I had…they included the things I was accused of. Would I…did I…will I commit those infernal crimes? My heart urges me to ask those very questions. My brain tells me that everything I have done is justified, that they had no right to falsely accuse me, and that I had a right to defend myself. But I am constantly reminded that this is the route that Sheik has chosen to take and we are currently no longer on speaking terms.

"So much has happened in such a small amount of time. And as I trudge up this stairway to Kakariko, carrying Peach in my arms, I can only wonder what will happen next. My legs ache from walking so far. My arms are tired from carrying Peach this far. My eyes burn from resisting the urge to sleep. My head aches from swimming in so many thoughts. Worst of all, my heart is pained by the sins I have committed. I pray for an end to this madness, be it through salvation or death. I no longer care what route Destiny sends me down, so long as it is an end to my suffering. Only Time will tell what lies ahead. And the Sage of Time has yet to awaken."

* * *

Zelda stood before the Shadow Barrier, wishing for it to simply disappear. She raised a tired arm, supporting Peach in the other, and charged her last bit of magic for a Shining Ray. What little magic she had left was only enough to crack the barrier. She was crestfallen and was ready to breakdown. Then, Peach moved and looked up through half-opened eyes.

"Shining Star…" she rasped, barely audible. "Help us break through this veil of shadow…so that we might save the lives of those trapped inside." The Shining Star rose out of her and shattered the barrier. She fell still once again.

Zelda trudged further and saw the wooden gate. At this point, her emotional state was at a breaking point, as if it were a glass trinket filled with cracks that would require only the slightest agitation before it would shatter to pieces. She could see the windmill turn peacefully in the distance, but it was unusually quiet. Once she passed through the gate, she encountered the very people she was looking for. Link stood there with a sword drawn and a fierce look on his face. Impa stood beside him with a knife, though she looked different. Instead of her usual light armor and tights, she wore a more conservative white dress with the Eye of Truth on her chest and had her hair down. They both looked ready to fight to the end. Zelda fell to her knees and began to cry, laying Peach down. She refused to fight them.

"Zelda?" Link said, nearing her cautiously. "Is that you?"

"I give up," she said tearfully. "Do with me what you will."

"Oh my Goddesses!" Impa said, dropping her knife. She ran and kneeled in front of Zelda, grabbing her into a hug. "I'm so glad you're safe."

"What?" Zelda said, confused. "Don't you have some reason to kill me?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Impa cried, squeezing her lovingly. "I had hoped none of this would involve you…but I'm not one of your enemies. You're still my baby!"

"Really?"

"Of course! I would never try to kill you!"

"I missed you," Zelda said faintly, drifting into sleep exhaustedly.

"Link, pick up her friend," Impa said. "We have to get them inside now!"

* * *

Peach awakened to the sight of this silver-haired woman staring back at her. She sat up in bed with a start, "Where am I? Who are you?"

"Shh, lie down," Impa said, pressing her back down. Peach saw that Impa was applying ointment to the wound on her shoulder, which was free of blood. "You're lucky you got here when you did. This was a nasty bite. And you had a few other problems too. You were bleeding internally. Did anything else happen to you?"

"I…I drowned," Peach said, trying to remember. "And after I was revived, I was stabbed."

"That explains why your dress was open," Impa said, rubbing ointment into her neck. "That should do it for your bite. Now, what I want you to do is just apply this ointment to your chest and stomach. It should stop the internal bleeding. I took the liberty of taking off your dress so it can be washed. Once you're done, I'll wrap you up and you can rest."

"Thank you," Peach said.

"My name is Impa, by the way," she said, going to the door. "I'm Zelda's nursemaid. I'm going to check on her now, so I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Okay," Peach said. Once Impa left, Peach sat the bottle of ointment in front of her and began to undo her bra.

* * *

Impa walked into another bedroom, where Zelda was resting. She had woken up, but remained in bed. Being her nursemaid, Impa had already applied ointment to Zelda and applied bandages to the appropriate areas. Impa sat at her bedside and stroked her cheek.

"Feeling better?" Impa asked.

"Yes, thank you," Zelda said tiredly. "I was this far from killing myself. What happened to the Saria, Darunia, and Ruto? What caused them to want to hurt me?"

"I'm not sure," Impa frowned sadly. "They are the Corrupted Ones. I realized it pretty quickly after escaping the Dark World with Link."

"Where is Link?" Zelda asked.

"He's out hunting and gathering food. People here haven't had much to eat."

"That Shadow Barrier…Why did you keep it up? The lava flow has cooled by now. And the flood subsided."

"I didn't have the power to put it down," Impa answered. "It has to do with my current state."

"I remember Rauru saying something like that," Zelda said thoughtfully. "Why do you look so…"

"Maiden-ish?" Impa smiled sadly. "Well, I'm not sure how it happened, but I know that I split into two beings. The person you see before you is the light side of Impa. My dark side is waiting in the bowels of the Shadow Temple. She is the one that held up the Shadow Barrier, mostly to protect the temple rather than the people. Somehow, you broke it."

"So, she's your dark side…Why don't you just rejoin her?"

"It's not that simple. If I were to approach her, she would easily defeat me and absorb me. She would become the dominant half…and you know that the dark side is never the good side. She is, however, the stronger, more powerful side. That's why I haven't confronted her."

"Couldn't Link help you?"

"By the time it was safe for the barrier to go down, none of us were physically up to it. Had we attacked her prematurely, Kakariko would have been destroyed in seconds…But now that you're here, I'm confident that we'll be able to handle her…well, when you get better of course."

"…Is Peach all right?" Zelda asked hesitantly.

"She's taken a beating, but she'll be okay," Impa smiled. "She's already awake, right now… You look troubled. Is something wrong?"

"It's about Sheik…" Zelda said uncomfortably. Suddenly, there was a shriek from Peach's room.

"Oops!" Link could be heard. "Sorry, about that." He wandered into Zelda's room with a blushing face. Then, he caught Zelda's gaze. Impa smirked and left the room.

"Hello, Link," Zelda said somewhat shyly.

"How are you doing?" he asked, sitting next to her.

"Better…I really did miss you."

"Same here. I…couldn't stop thinking of you," he said awkwardly. "I got really worried when Impa told me some of the others were probably trying to kill you. I never wanted anything to happen to you. I really care about you…and um, I…I just want to make sure that…that nothing ever happens to you again."

"Thank you," she smiled sweetly.

"It's not just a promise," he said, blushing deeply as he took her hands in his. "Consider it…more of a vow. Like…a-wed-ding-vow."

"What?"

"You know I'm not good with words," he sighed. He took out a red rupee. "This is really not that good, but…will you marry me?"

Zelda began to breathe quickly, nearly hyperventilating. Her shaky hands slowly took the rupee. She smiled as hot tears streamed out of her eyes. "Yes…Yes, of course…"

"Really? All right!" Link cheered. Then, he noticed that Zelda was still hyperventilating and her hands were shaking even more. "Zelda? Are you okay?"

Her body fell limp as she finally fainted in bed. Link was not sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

* * *

After some rest and something to eat, Peach felt well enough to partially heal both herself and Zelda. It was nighttime and the moon was out. Most of the people in Kakariko had left for other places in Hyrule, particularly Lon Lon Ranch and Gerudo Valley. Peach walked outside and saw Zelda talking to Impa near the red rusted looking house. They both looked a bit saddened. She walked over to investigate. She wore a borrowed long blue skirt while her torso and right shoulder were completely wrapped in bandages. She had taken off her gloves.

"Peach!" Zelda said, not expecting her. "What are you…?"

"Let him say goodbye, Zelda," Impa said somberly. "It's the very least you could do…Just one last time."

"What's going on?" Peach asked.

Zelda hesitantly transformed into Sheik one final time. He knew it was time to go. "Hello, Peach."

"Oh, hi, Sheik," she smiled. "What's the occasion?"

"I'm afraid I've worn out my welcome," he said, smiling sadly under his veil. "I've done horrible things…but I still believe they were the right things to do."

"Like what?"

"…Sweet Peach," he sighed. "I'd rather not spoil this moment by telling you. All you need to know is that I committed them out of concern for you. What relatively few years I've existed on this plane, never have I encountered a woman as kind, selfless, and beautiful as you. Do you remember what I told you earlier today?"

"…Oh…yeah," she said nervously, blushing. "Sheik…I…"

"I know we can't be together," he shook his head. "We're from two different worlds and I can only stay in this body for precious little time. Had Destiny done things differently, perhaps we could have been something…But know that I truly do love you. Even after I take my final resting place with the rest of the Sheikah, I will always remember you, Princess Peach Toadstool." She suddenly grasped him in a hug.

"I'll always remember you too, Sheik," she said. "I think I know what you did…and I forgive you. We both had too much to drink that night. It's not your fault."

Sheik was glad she thought it was only that. "I think I'll leave on that light note. Stay sweet, Peach. That's your best trait." Zelda reappeared as Sheik's spirit exited and faded.

"Don't be too sad, Peach," Zelda consoled her. "He wouldn't want to share a body with me for too long."

"Especially since Zelda's getting married," Impa added. "The honeymoon would be awkward."

"You're getting married?" Peach asked. "To who?"

"To Link…" Zelda said shyly.

"You're so coy!" Peach teased her. "When is the ceremony?"

"In an hour or two," Impa said proudly. "Link insisted on getting it over with. He's a nervous wreck."

"Would you be my Maid of Honor?" Zelda asked Peach.

"Of course!" Peach squealed, hugging her. "I'm so happy for you. See what happens when you believe. Things always work out for the better."

"Thank you so much, Peach," Zelda said, squeezing her. "For everything…I couldn't have gotten this far without you."

"Now, then," Impa said. "This won't be as fancy as it should be, but let's try to make the best of it by starting with some proper clothing for you two."


	11. Sleepless Nights

**Sleepless Nights**

There was a small gathering of people seated on the grass in front of the stairs that led up to the well. Among the more notable people were the "chicken lady" and the laughing twins from Hyrule Castle Town. Impa stood to the side at the top of the stairs. An old man in a blue robe and cap stood on the other side, holding the sacred Book of Mudora. Standing between them was a nervous Link, dressed in a white tunic that was more a product of magic than last minute sewing. Impa glanced at Link with a look that silently asked, "Are you ready?"

He nodded and removed his cap. Impa smiled and revealed a small reed. She put it to her lips and played a slightly remixed version of Zelda's Lullaby. Everyone could hear a door open behind the small crowd. Zelda stepped around the corner of the house and into view. She had apparently used a previously unused wedding dress of Impa's that was modified to fit her. The front was a gentle lilac color with a silver Eye of Truth design. The rest of the dress was white and lacy. She wore all the jewelry and makeup she had usually worn before. She even had on lilac silk gloves. A transparent lilac veil covered her entire face. Peach was supporting the tail of her dress. She had removed her crown out of respect. Since she was still injured, Impa had given her the old style of a Sheikah maiden. Bandages were wrapped around her torso and right shoulder as before, but there were now also hanging bandages wrapped around her forearms and fingers. Her skirt faded from white to blue to lilac and had a large, high slit on her right side. She also had her earrings equipped as well as her brooch attached to the uppermost wrappings of her torso bandages.

As Zelda gracefully walked past the gathering, everyone could see her blushing and smiling. Link was in a similar, though severely more anxious state. Impa whispered something to him and he focused only on Zelda. He calmed down and his smile soon matched hers. She joined him by his side and they turned toward the old man, as Peach stood next to Impa. The old man read from the Book of Mudora, speaking words that Peach could not understand. She was not sure whether it was just her or not, but she said nothing to ruin the moment since everyone else seemed content. She realized that Link also did not know when the old man turned to him and Zelda had to elbow him slightly.

"Oh, sorry," he said. "Yes, I do."

The old man spoke more strange words from the book and eventually turned to Zelda.

"I do," she spoke.

"Then, I declareth thee husband and wife," the old man spoke, closing the book. "You may now kiss the bride."

Link turned to Zelda and lifted her veil. They stared into each others sparkling eyes. Link seemed to be at a loss. Zelda helped him by pulling him close and into a kiss. The gathering cheered and clapped. Zelda spotted Impa crying tears of joy to herself. She wondered whether the real Impa would have done the same. Link suddenly lifted her into his arms.

"So, what now?" he asked, smiling.

She blushed and said shyly, "The honeymoon."

"Sounds fun," he said. "What is it?"

Zelda was surprised but took it in good humor. She called Peach over.

"Congratulations, Zelda, Link," she said.

"Peach, could you explain to my hubby what a honeymoon is?" Zelda said just for fun.

"Oh!" Peach blushed, still smiling. "Well, Link, that's when you and Zelda spend special time together alone. You can do whatever you want with each other. It's just between you two, so you can consummate your love. You can sing, play songs, dance, hug, kiss, whatever you want." Zelda hadn't expected such a clean, direct response.

"Well, actually it's more specific than that," Zelda said.

Impa walked over, having quickly dried her eyes. "Zelda, Link, I think you'll need a place of your own. You get to have the brick house on the hill in the center of the village. You should have enough privacy there. Zelda can explain what a honeymoon is…personally."

"Uh, thanks," Link said.

"Thank you, Impa," Zelda said.

"Anything for my little girl…Anyway, do you think you'll be up to going into the Shadow Temple tomorrow?"

"Sure thing," Link said. "We might as well get it over with as soon as possible."

"I'll need your help, too, Zelda," Impa said, looking hopeful. "You'll be enough of a distraction and a threat for me to do what I have to do."

"Won't she attack Zelda?" Peach asked. "I don't want anymore situations like the previous ones."

"I can't say she won't attack," Impa said. "But I can guarantee you that she won't even think about trying to kill her. We love Zelda too much for that thought to even come to mind."

"I see," Zelda said. "Well, then, it shouldn't be a problem. I'll be right there with you."

"Thank you, Zelda," Impa bowed. "Now, you kids have fun."

"Good night," Zelda smirked.

"Good night," Link said, carrying her up the stairs.

"Ah, love," Peach sighed. "It's so sweet."

"We'd better turn in for the night," Impa said, leading her back to her house. "I wouldn't want you to exhaust yourself and cause further injury."

* * *

Peach and Impa walked up to the second floor of her house. Impa had set up two futons there, while the chicken lady slept in a bed on the first floor. She had already slipped into bed. While Peach immediately got into bed, Impa removed her dress before getting under the covers. Peach could see tattoos grey tattoos all over her body, despite the dim candlelight. 

"Get some rest," Impa said, putting out the candle. "You should be able to heal yourself completely in the morning."

"Thanks again, Impa," Peach said. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

"AAAAAH!"

"What was that!" Peach exclaimed, sitting up immediately.

"That was Zelda's voice," Impa said in a calmer fashion.

"OH, GODDESSES!"

"We need to help her!" Peach exclaimed.

"Relax," Impa said, still lying down.

"What's going on out there?" the chicken lady asked from below.

"Just try to get some sleep," Impa said.

"But Impa…" Peach began.

"ALIOFRA SAGAIO MIRYN!"

"Oh, Zelda…" Impa sighed. "Peach, try to ignore it as best as you can."

"She sounds like she's in pain," Peach said worriedly.

"Remember when you told Link what a honeymoon is?"

"Yeah, a time when two people consummate their love."

"Consummate…Now, what is the third syllable of that word?"

"Mate?" Peach said cluelessly.

"HARDER! HARDER! HARDER YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

"Oh…Ew," Peach said, now understanding.

"Don't worry," Impa said. "They'll tire out eventually."

* * *

Hours later… 

Both Peach and Impa had bloodshot eyes wide open. Zelda's screaming had only increased in frequency, volume, and vulgarity. Peach had long ago tried and failed to put herself to sleep with Sleepy Time. Impa had tried several sleeper holds, among other knockout techniques, on herself and only awakened a few seconds later. Even after she took a quick knockout drug, Zelda kept her wide-awake.

"I can't stand it anymore!" the chicken lady yelled over the noise, getting up and leaving the house.

"When did she learn all those words?" Peach asked blankly.

"I wouldn't be surprised if all of Hyrule could hear that girl," Impa said tiredly.

"CALIAINA YGDREU JALACK VEILHM!"

"And since when _did_ she learn such…colorful language?" Impa said uncomfortably.

* * *

It was late afternoon the next day and Peach and Impa were sitting around the house groggily, drinking herbal tea. Then, Link carried Zelda through the door. Both of them had wide smiles. He was moving a bit stiffly. 

"Good morning," he grinned, sitting her down next to him.

"More like good afternoon," Peach yawned.

"Sunset will be around in a few hours," Impa said. "I think we can forget about the mission today. Maybe tomorrow…"

"Yeah, sorry about that," Link said, blushing as he looked into Zelda's eyes. "I guess we were a little noisy."

"Did you have to use so many strange curse words?" Peach asked Zelda. Zelda blushed and laid her head against Link's chest affectionately.

"Uh, sorry," Link apologized for her. "She kind of lost her voice."

"Really sore," Zelda squeaked in a scratchy, barely audible voice.

"I'd love to help you," Peach said somewhat sarcastically, "but my powers never recharged over the sleepless night. And unlike you, more than just my throat is sore. My chest, my stomach, my neck, my…"

"Her too," Link said, holding Zelda close. "And then some."

"Well, I'm going to get breakfast…I mean, dinner ready," Impa said, pulling herself to her feet.

"Didn't you hear anyone complain?" Peach asked.

"Nope," Link laughed. Zelda weakly giggled along. "In fact, after Zel and I washed up, we didn't see anyone in the whole village."

"They probably went somewhere for a good night's sleep," Impa muttered, starting a fire under a kettle. "Just try to keep it down a bit tonight, okay?"

"Sure thing," Link nodded. Zelda nodded as well.

* * *

Peach and Impa lied in their futons wide-awake once again. Zelda had apparently gotten enough of her voice back in time to keep them up. 

"Maybe I should just stop them myself?" Peach said.

"You seem like the person who's never seen nor experienced that sort of thing before," Impa said. "I doubt you'll be able to do anything about it."

"Is that so?" Peach said, getting up and walking out. As Impa expected, Peach returned a few minutes later, looking downtrodden.

"Didn't have the stomach for it, huh?" Impa asked.

"Shut up," Peach muttered, letting herself fall back onto the futon.

"Don't worry too much. The way they're going at it, there's no way they'll be able to go as long."

"OH SWEET FARORE, LET IT NEVER END!"

"Well, they'll be too sore to do anything tomorrow," Impa said optimistically. "At least, I know I wouldn't be able to."

* * *

One week later… 

"No, Peach!" Impa grunted, holding Peach down. The irate princess was trying to leave the house to end the routine once and for all.

"Let me go! No one has the right to take away that much sleep from me! I'll fix them!"

"As Zelda's bodyguard, I can't let you do that!" Impa said. "You're not thinking straight. You'll just hurt them!"

"That's the point!"

"…She probably bleeding by now," Impa said after some thought. Peach stopped struggling immediately.

"That's not funny," she said, lying down. "But something has to be done. My stomach is really hurting and I need my beauty sleep."

"I promise I'll fix this…peacefully," Impa assured her. "Believe me, staying up in the dark is no fun for me either."

* * *

It was the next evening, and everyone had finished eating. Peach had been unusually hostile the entire evening from sleep deprivation. As Link and Zelda got up to leave, Impa stopped them. 

"Hold it, you two," she said.

"Something wrong?" Link asked.

"I'd like to be one person again within the next year," Impa smirked, "so I think we'd better make some changes in the sleeping arrangements."

"Like what?" Zelda asked.

"Awfully convenient to get your voice back now…" Peach muttered.

"Zelda, you're sleeping with Peach tonight," Impa said. "Link will be staying with me."

"What?" Link exclaimed.

"I want everyone to sleep in pairs for safety reasons," she explained. "And this way, everyone can get some rest…even though we're the only ones left in the village."

"I'm not sure I like the idea of you sleeping with my husband," Zelda frowned.

"Would you rather I sleep with him?" Peach asked in a surly voice.

"Have you…have you been drinking?" Zelda asked uncomfortably.

"And so what if I have!" Peach yelled. "It won't be my fault if anything happens, 'specially since everyone is so interested in my peaches!"

"Well, you do have a nice peach," Link admitted.

"Impa and Link it is," Zelda quickly. "Come on, Peach."

"Oh, shove it, Zelda!" Peach growled, following her out. "But wait! That's right; Link did it for you. He's been doing it for you every night of the week! And where I'm from, no one needs to…" Her rant continued out the door, while Impa and Link stood by anxiously.

"She's the nicest person I've met," Impa began, "but she really does have a temper."

"That Peach _does_ have a nice peach though," Link said, immediately going to the futon.

* * *

Peach woke up fully refreshed. She happily opened the windows wide to let in the sun. She healed herself fully and tore off her bandages as the door opened. Link stood there, caught by surprise at the sight of her, with his face quickly turning red. She was frozen in place as well. They both turned their backs to one another awkwardly. 

"Heh, heh…" Link laughed nervously. "Just wanted to get Zelda…the bandages looked good on you…Uh, bye!" Then, he speedily walked back to Impa's house while Peach closed the door and set about looking for her bra.

Once Zelda had awakened, she immediately went out to look for Link. Peach went to Impa's house and found Impa still in her futon. Peach had recovered the pink dress she had worn in Hyrule so far. It was repaired and washed during the week of no sleep.

"Impa? Wake up."

"Ohhh, wha?" Impa said groggily. "Oh, sorry Peach. I didn't sleep too well last night. Spent too much time thinking…What time is it"

"A little after eleven," Peach said. "We made good time. I think we all may have slept an entire day… The others are up and…er, washing up…together…at the same time…loudly."

"At least I can't hear it from here," Impa sighed. "Okay…here's the deal. I'll be ready by three in the afternoon. That should be enough time. Be ready by then. And for the love of Nayru, keep those two from waking me up."

* * *

The four warped into place, ready to face the dark half of Impa that waited within the Shadow Temple. As they descended the stairs, Impa spoke, "Okay, we'll split into two teams. Zelda and me, and Link and Peach." 

"Any reason for the pairings?" Zelda asked.

"I wanted to make sure Peach has the most protection," Impa explained. "That's Link's designation. Zelda, I might need that light attack you mentioned earlier since we don't have any Light Arrows. Besides, I'm already your bodyguard, so why not?"

"I see."

"Remember, Dark Impa will try her hardest to convince you that she's the good one. She'll no doubt play on your emotions and childhood memories. I need you to do most of the heavy attacking, while I get in whatever I can. Remember, she _won't_ kill you…And that goes for Zelda only."

"So, that's why you put me with Peach," Link nodded.

"Yeah, plus I want each team to have someone with an idea of where they're going," Impa smirked. She stopped the girls and looked to Link upon reaching the entrance. There was a pedestal in the center surrounded by unlit torches. The stone door in front of them had the Eye of Truth on it. "Link, if you'll do the honors?"

"Right, stand back," he said, stepping onto the pedestal. He concentrated briefly and went through the movements of Din's Fire, finishing by pounding his palm to the floor. A dome of fire grew from the impact point and lit the torches all at once. A familiar sound echoed and the stone door grindingly lifted, revealing the darkness within.

As they all entered, Peach shuddered wildly. "Wow…that felt strange."

"You must be incredibly pure hearted," Impa said, stopping at a gap in the floor. "This is a place of great evil. It used to be a Sheikah sanctuary… Now, it's more like the upper part of Hades. There's certainly enough evil spirits locked away in here." She backed up and got a running start. She ran a short distance along the wall landed on the opposite ledge. Peach floated across the gap to join her.

"I'm not sure if this Hookshot will…" Zelda began, taking out her Hookshot.

"Don't worry," Link smiled. "I always hold onto the one I got in Termina." They both took aim with their Hookshots and were pulled across the gap.

"Where now?" Peach asked, since there was a wall in front of them. Then, appeared to hear something and looked at the wall strangely.

"…Did you bring the Lens of Truth?" Impa asked Link.

"Got it…but what about you?"

"I'll manage," she said, walking through the wall.

"How did she…?" Peach began.

"It's an illusion," Zelda said, following. Peach and Link followed and saw Impa pushing a stone tab of a rotating raven statue. The room was dark and eerie. There were strange designs of what seemed to be ugly smiling faces on the walls. Once Impa stopped pushing the tab at a skull post, the sound went off again. Across another larger gap, there was an odd statue head in the wall with its mouth open and its tongue hanging out as a floor. A gate within the mouth opened.

"All right," Impa sighed, apparently also being affected by the dark atmosphere. "Zelda we're going this way. Link, Peach, you're going across the gap."

Link took Zelda's cheek and kissed her gently. "Stay safe, okay?"

"I will," she smiled, embracing him briefly. "Take care of Peach."

"You can count on me," he smiled.

"Come along, Zelda," Impa said, walking halfway through one of the designs. And thus, the party split ways.

_Warning:_ The next two chapters might be a bit much for some people. But if you've stuck with me this far, you can handle it... Oh, and Nintendo owns pretty much everything in this story except the plot.


	12. The Truth

**The Truth**

_Last warning...If you have any really dark, foreboding music, now is the time to play it. Revolution to the Origin is my recommendation, especially if you've played Phantasy Star Online._

Peach shuddered uncontrollably as she and Link walked into a labyrinth of skulls with only a few lit candlesticks embedded in the walls. It was creepy enough to be a in a place where the walls were made of skulls with glowing eyes, but she could have sworn someone or something was whispering to her. "Did you hear that?"

"I've heard it before," Link said, calm but alert. "The spirits of the dead get kind of chatty around here."

_"Shadow Temple…"_ the spirits whispered. _"Here is gathered Hyrule's bloody history of greed and hatred…"_

"…You heard that, right?" Peach asked nervously, shuddering again. Link turned around to face her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Relax," he said, moving his hands up to her cheeks. "You don't have anything to be afraid of while I'm around. That's why Zelda and Impa entrusted me with your safety."

"I can't help it," she said, slowly moving his hands away. "I've been in dungeons, haunted houses, and both the Dark World and the Dark Land, yet this is by far the scariest place I've ever been."

"It's the former Sheikah sanctuary," Link said. "Impa and Sheik's kind of place, don't you agree?"

"…No…" Peach whispered, still getting chills. "I hate this place."

* * *

Impa and Zelda crouched low to the ground to miss the timed sweeps of the reaper statues' scythes, which were also invisible. Though they could not see the blades or the reapers, Impa had a sixth sense about tricks that would otherwise require the Lens of Truth to notice. Zelda seemed to know when it was coming as well. Once a blade passed, they got up and trotted a little further toward a passage and ducked another blade. 

"So, Zelda," Impa said, as they made another short run and ducked. "How did you keep getting your voice back?"

"I retrieved potions from that old lady's shop in the back of the village," Zelda answered, blushing.

"All that for your voice?"

"No, of course not," Zelda giggled. "I…I just wanted to be able to…enjoy my time with my husband… I…well, we were both terribly sore. It would have hurt for either of us after a night."

"So, you were overdoing it after all," Impa said, as they reached the safety of the passageway. "Then, those small gaps in your otherwise persistent shrieking must have been you catching your breath."

Zelda's face turned bright red. "…More like…holding my breath…"

Impa blushed and awkwardly looked away. "…We're almost there." They went down the passage and reached a dead end with one of those strange designs on the wall.

_"If you want to see a ferry to the other world, come here…"_ the spirits spoke mysteriously.

"Another illusion of a wall," Zelda said.

"Let's go." They both took a step forward and fell through an invisible hole in the floor. They tumbled into a caged area and saw a ladder. Outside the cage, they could see a large boat floating over a strange mist.

"That must be it," Impa said, getting up. "Come on."

"Shouldn't we wait for the others?" Zelda asked.

"The boat will return once we're done with it," she reasoned. "They'll catch up."

* * *

Link and Peach stood in a large dark cavern. There was a large abyss down below and many of the paths had led them through self-activating guillotines. Peach was still having trouble getting rid of her chills, even with Link around. It was as if her body was completely adverse to this environment. Eventually, they reached a dead end that seemed to only lead to the edge of the cliff and the abyss. 

"Shouldn't we turn back?" Peach asked uncomfortably.

"Take my hand," Link said, holding it out for her. She carefully grabbed on and he walked her onto an invisible platform. "See it's not so bad."

Peach had her eyes closed out of fear and was simply following his lead. After passing over another invisible platform, they reached a door. On the other side, there were fans blowing gusts strong enough to knock them off the narrow platform.

"Since I don't have all my gear, you're going to have to get us across," Link said. He wrapped his arms around her and pointed her in the proper direction. She hesitantly floated across gaps with him, avoiding the wind currents. When they reached another hall with strong gusts blowing everywhere, Link ran through, carrying her as far as he could. When they were blown off, Peach would float them back to the path. After reaching a dead end, Link pushed Peach off the platform to her horror.

"What are you doing!" she screamed, catching herself in midair as the wind blew her through a wall that was not really there. Link was soon blown onto the ledge and pulled himself up.

"See, you're fine," he said. "I told you I'd take care of you."

"Don't do that!" Peach scolded him. "You scared me." They continued through the next door and came upon an empty port and what seemed to be a river of mist.

"Looks like Zelda and Impa beat us here," Link said, nearing the edge to check for sure. The ferry was nowhere in sight. Then, he looked and saw Peach standing just behind him, holding her trembling self.

"This is one trip I probably shouldn't have come on," she said in a shivering voice.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

"I…don't know," she said, frowning and turning her back to the abyss and Link. "I just know I don't want to be here anymore."

Link wrapped his arms around her from behind and said, "Try to hang in there a little longer. It's almost over."

"…What are we waiting for, anyway?" Peach asked, turning toward him. She was growing uncomfortable with him touching her.

"A ferry across the River of the Dead," he said, moving his hands toward her hips.

She tried to give him a hint of her distaste by pulling away from him slightly and shedding his embrace by placing her arms at her side. He responded by moving his hands to her rear. She frowned uncomfortably and turned her back to him, gently trying to break his embrace. As he tightened his embrace around her stomach she whined, "Sheik, I mean Link…"

"Got someone on your mind, huh?" he asked, physically inviting her to lay her head against his chest.

"I guess…I kind of miss him," Peach said distractedly, as Link began to rub her stomach. "He was such a chivalrous, _honorable_, **polite** man…" As she spoke, his motions began to move toward her breasts. "Please, stop that," she said quietly.

"…You're probably better than Zelda," he spoke just as quietly.

"Please, don't say things like that," she said, hunching over slightly to discourage him. When, he began to rub them, she spoke, "I mean it. Stop it."

"…Definitely a peach," he whispered into her ear, nearing for a kiss.

"Sheik, I mean Link…" she whispered, leaning her head away from his. "Stop. I don't like that." She relaxed slightly when his hands slowly slid back down to her stomach. She grew more agitated, however, when his hands slid down to her hips once again.

"Come on," he whispered, moving one hand to her rear once again as her trembling became more noticeable. "Zelda won't know. No one has to know."

"She…Link, I…" she began, trying to avoid his gaze, nuzzles, and kisses. When one hand began to stroke her pelvis, she turned around and slapped him, moving away from him. "I told you to stop that! What about Zelda?"

"…I guess you're right," he said, as the boat finally appeared at the port. "I promised to take care of you. Ladies first…"

She watched him carefully as he stepped aside. He had quickly lost a lot of respect in her eyes. Even Bowser was more gentlemanly in her opinion. She turned to look at the boat and how to get on, since the deck was higher than her.

"Up here," he said, standing on a high platform. He pointed to the large stairs next to her.

She sighed and began to climb the stairs. Once she was up, Link hopped onto the ship and she joined him. He played Zelda's Lullaby with a black ocarina on the Royal Family Crest painted on the deck and the bells on the ship's stern rang. The boat lurched forward and floated through the mist She looked over the side to see if there really wasn't any water. Suddenly she was knocked off by the cutting slash of a sword.

"Ah! What are you doing!" she screamed, floating and turning around to face Link. She grew more frightened when she saw him with a bow and arrow aimed at her.

"I said I'd take care of you," he chuckled, letting the arrow fly. The arrow struck her in the stomach and shot her down instantly, sending her into the mist screaming.

* * *

Zelda and Impa stood over the final pit, where Dark Impa supposedly lurked. They could barely see down below. Zelda was a little nervous of course, but she noticed that Impa seemed even more anxious. 

"Is something wrong?" Zelda asked.

"Zelda…" Impa said a bit somberly, "I want you to know that…no matter what happens…I love you as a friend and as a surrogate daughter."

"Impa…"

"Let me finish…And no matter how this turns out…I forgive you…Light Impa forgives you…Dark Impa forgives you. We both do." Before Zelda could respond, Impa hopped down into the pit. Zelda had no choice but to follow.

They fell into absolute darkness. The ground was solid. The air was dank like the rest of the temple. Unlike the other temples, which were full of malice and hatred, this particular chamber was merely brooding in its atmosphere. Zelda lit her hand aflame and suddenly the room was lit with four purple torches. It was a medium-sized cavern of damp, black rock. To her horror, she saw Impa being strangled by the hand of her dark counterpart. Dark Impa actually looked more like the original Impa. Her hair was short and tied; she had a harsh look on her face; and she wore clothing befitting of a Sheikah warrior. However, her eyes were as narrow as cat eyes.What should have been the whites of her eyes were jet black, making her red pupils even more menacing.The face paint under her eyes was black instead of the usual grey. Most important of all, various parts of her body were oddly covered in black shadow, including nearly half of her face.

"Let her go!" Zelda screamed, rushing to help. She charged her Shining Ray and fired. Dark Impa merely tossed her light counterpart in the way to take the blast.

"I know what she told you, Zelda," Dark Impa spoke disconnectedly, almost as if it did not matter. "You think I am the bad one."

"Of course," Zelda said, helping Light Impa up. "And there's nothing you can say to prove otherwise, so don't bother."

"How can you be so sure she is the better half?" she replied, actually floating toward her.

"Don't attempt to poison her mind!" Light Impa yelled, taking out her knife and running at her. Dark Impa batted her to the side easily and kept her eyes on Zelda.

"You did not answer my question, young lady."

"Don't treat me like a child," Zelda said, raising her sword to strike. "I'm an adult now!"

"Adults put more thought into their actions," Dark Impa said, snatching the sword away and tossing it aside. "Are we sure we made the right decision by banishing our virginity so hastily?"

"…How did you know?"

"You were rather loud," she said as if it were obvious. "I'll thank you to watch your language in the future." Light Impa attempted to grab her from behind, but was tossed over Dark Impa's shoulder and into a wall.

"No more words!" Zelda said, charging another Shining Ray when she was suddenly backhanded.

"I've taken my hand to you before," she warned. Her eyes narrowed even more and she growled in an echo, "I won't hesitate to do so now."

"Don't you dare hurt her!" Light Impa yelled, diving at her. Dark Impa jumped to let her fall and landed on her back. Then, she stepped on the back of her head, forcing her face into the ground.

"Think about it, Zelda. If she is the good one, why is she so weak and incompetent? Would the real Impa have so much vanity as to dress and style herself this way? Would she have stalled in such a cowardly fashion until your arrival before facing a supposed evil? Would she have had as much patience with your moaning and cursing every night?"

"She's not the real Impa," Zelda said.

"So, you see it my way?"

"She's not the real Impa, but she's still the better half," Zelda said, slashing her wrist at her. Dark Impa caught it and then her other wrist, pushing her back against the wall. Dead hands began to sprout out of the wall and held Zelda there tightly. She was still overpowering them in some areas. They bound her legs together while her arms were spread out.

"You're only hurting yourself," the dark one said, summoning shadow daggers into her hands. Without hesitation, she jammed a dagger through each of Zelda's wrists.

"Ah! You bitch!" Zelda screamed as she was effectively beingcrucified. "The real Impa would never do this to me!"

"…I'm not the real Impa, remember?" she said, lifting her limp counterpart. "As for you; this will hurt less if you simply lie still and let me beat you into unconsciousness."

* * *

Peach slowly awakened in the darkness. Once she came to her senses, she felt for the arrow still lodged in her stomach. When, she tugged at it, she could not help yelping. That very spot had been bothering her quite a bit lately. It was the spot where she had been impaled, first by Bolt, then by Saria. It seemed that frequent injury there was taking its toll on her. She tugged harder, not bothering to hold back her screams, and finally removed it. Even after healing herself, there was still a nagging pain there. 

She rose to her feet and looked around in futility. Everything was darkness. "Hello?" she echoed. "Is anyone there? Please, someone help me!" Her voice echoed into the distance with no reply. Even the spirits were silent here, all except for one.

_"You are in the land of the dead,"_ a female, thoughstoic voice murmured. _"…Yet you are not of the dead…It is impossible for a mortal to come here…unless…Wan-der-er…Is that you?"_

"No…" Peach whimpered. "My…my name is Peach…I…"

_"Ah…you are Zelda's companion."_

"How do you know her?"

_"Both of you have stood upon the edge of my domain…for I am…was…the Sage of Death. Her time here need not come for some time…yet it draws steadily closer."_

"Zelda's in danger?" Peach exclaimed. "Link…"

_"No. It will not be by his hand, only his doing. The struggle for dominance between the halves of the Sage of Shadow is not going well. Even if you were to rush to Zelda's side, you would be too late. However, you might be able to lessen her suffering if you go back to the village now, for the man she has given herself to is not the hero she knows and her childhood friend of Lon Lon Ranch draws steadily closer to my realm…"_

"Zelda…Malon!" Peach whispered.

_"Follow the flames of darkness to reach the bottom of the well…"_

"Take me back to the temple!" Peach demanded as blackened, barely visible flames appeared. "I have to try to help Impa too!"

_"Foolish…For that, you must the journey through an unseen path…It lies before you…Follow your mind's eye…and you will reach the Sage's chamber. Choose it if you dare…but you will be too late."

* * *

_

Zelda was literally pinned to the wall, still struggling to get free. Dark Impa had battered Light Impa mercilessly. Her face was covered in blood and she was barely conscious.

"Why are you doing this to her?" Zelda screamed. "You've already won!"

"Her body is broken," Dark Impa said, "but her spirit is not. She is still sure that you will come through for her. A pity…"

"I won't fail her!" Zelda said through gritted teeth. Particles of light gathered in her palms. The dead hands shriveled away and she fired, vaporizing the shadow daggers in the process. Dark Impa floated to the side to avoid the blast and held her counterpart by the scruff of her neck.

"Don't move!" Zelda said, aiming another blast at her, despite her bleeding wrists.

"If you allow her to absorb me," Dark Impa spoke, "you will deeply regret it. I guarantee it."

"Silence!"

"Think about it. You're a wise child. Which one of us looks, sounds, and acts more like the Impa you know?"

"I said be quiet!"

"Search your feelings…You know it to be true…"

"No! Impa has always loved me…"

"Are you implying that I do not?"

"Of course you don't!" Zelda said, feeling tears come into her eyes. "You tried to crucify me!"

"Dear child…I do what I must to protect you. What harm I do you pales in comparison to the alternative. Meanwhile, _this_," she said, holding up her counterpart, "will do you much greater harm than I would ever commit."

"That's not true!"

"She has already placed you in unnecessary danger by bringing you to this temple. Had she not brought you here, you would not be bleeding from your wrists. Nor would you be in such emotional pain as you are now. What sort of supposed better half would pit you against what is virtually your mother?" As she spoke, Zelda began to lower her arm as the words sunk in.

"Zelda, please…" Light Impa moaned.

"I advise you to leave this place at once," Dark Impa said. "I will take care of things here."

"Wait…" Zelda said as an idea came to her. "If you're the better half, why would you wait for her to bring me here?"

"…My reasons are my own…" she replied somewhat defensively. "I had sent a less than honorable associate to break her and return her to me, but…" Her eyes widened in shock and she looked up to the entrance as Link appeared. Her voice became demonic once again. "You! You little traitor!"

"Now, Zelda," Light Impa whispered pleadingly. Zelda hesitated.

"What's the matter?" Link said to the dark one, as he dropped down nearby. "Not happy to see me? I made sure she came here, didn't I? I just wanted to make sure to give her the advantage."

"I will make you beg for mercy!" Dark Impa growled, tossing Light Impa aside to confront him. "Aaaah!" A beam of light pierced her and she fell to her knees. "Zelda…"

"You made the right decision, Zelda," Light Impa said tiredly.

"It's not too late, my child," Dark Impa winced. "Strike her down and it will…Ah!" Link pinned her down with his sword.

"Sorry to ask this, Zel," Link said. "But you're going to have to be the one to take her out…"

"What?"

"I'm so sorry, Zelda," Light Impa said. "It's the only way…to break her spirit. I know she seems like a heartless soul of pure evil…but she is still a part of the true me. She does indeed love you…it's just in her own way. She truly believes that she is the better half. She has been counting on you to support her, if at least passively. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"Yes…I do…" Zelda choked, approaching her.

"Do not do anything foolish," Dark Impa warned, unable to move with Link's sword running through her stomach. As Zelda came closer, a hint of panic came into her voice. "You're making a mistake, Zelda…This is not the Link you know! He is an impostor!"

"Your time is at an end," Zelda said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I will not be consumed by the Darkness." She charged her Shining Ray and fired it into Dark Impa's chest. Dark Impa made no sound and lay flat on her back. Light Impa limped over to her and placed her hand over her face.

"Zel-da…" Dark Impa whispered. "…I forgive you…" She turned into a black mist and flowed into Light Impa.

"Our mission is a success," Impa smiled, fully rejuvenated. She looked like a mix of the two. Her hair was down, but there was still a small ponytail in the back. Her sleeves had disappeared and she had black gloves. Her dress had been reduced to a white loincloth, yet she wore her usual black shorts underneath. Strangely, her stomach was bare. Zelda was a bit confused to see her looking more like the Light Impa.

"Why do you look that way?" Zelda asked.

"Because I've finally beaten my dark side," Impa smiled. "Thanks to you."

"You mean…"

"The Impa you knew is gone forever," she said triumphantly. "Now, I can begin phase two."

"But…how can you be the wrong Impa?" Zelda asked. "The Darkness lost…"

"I tricked you, silly," Impa giggled in a way the old Impa never would have. "I might as well explain the truth to you…You see, dear, all of the Sages, including myself, have been trying to stop you. After all the things you've done to wreck Hyrule's stability, how can you blame us?"

"But…"

"Don't bother lying any longer," Impa said in a humored fashion. "We've all talked and decided that something had to be done. So, we set up a little war as a distraction. It kept the people from asking questions. It kept Ganondorf at bay. And it placed a spotlight on you. You see…_you_ are the reason the war started."

"No, that can't be!"

"Oh, but I'm afraid it is. It was a loosely organized effort to get you. Of course, we all didn't agree. Saria, Darunia, and Ruto merely wanted to kill you…"

"You're just like the others…" Zelda said, stepping back.

"Don't jump ahead, now… Everything I told you about being split into two beings was more or less true. My two selves did not particularly like the idea of having you killed, so Darunia forced us to stay here and protect the village by sending a lava flow at it. Ruto started the flood to make sure no one would escape easily. And Saria…well, I suppose she was the ringleader of that little clique. The other three of us had our own plans, though. As the Sage of Shadow, my main concern as of yet is Rauru."

"He's the only one who hasn't tried to kill me! Why would you want to…?"

"Four months away and your manners go down the drain," Impa sighed. "As I was saying, Rauru is the one who sent you on this false journey to rescue the Sages. He knew full and well that the first three would try to kill you. But it all fit perfectly into his plan. You see, whenever a Sage is destroyed, the others grow more powerful. It's a sort of ancient compensation mechanism instilled by the Goddesses. That is probably why you had more trouble with Ruto than Darunia, who needed assistance from Saria. That should also explain why your final fight with Saria was so tough. Did you catch all that?"

Zelda was too absorbed in her words to respond.

"Hmm…Well, anyway, none of us really expected you to kill all three of them, even though it works to our advantage and my relief. We were simply expecting to thrive off of the energy from the powerful Sage of Time, defeat Ganondorf, and return Hyrule to peace. But now that you've gotten this far, I'll bet the old man's getting greedy. He's probably expecting us to kill one another, leaving only one other Sage. Thus, my plan is to end his life and, perhaps later, Nabooru's. With that much power, I'll be able to take down Ganondorf myself."

"Isn't that his job?" Zelda asked, pointing to Link.

"Forgot all about me, didn't you?"

"Where is Peach?" Zelda asked.

"Dead," he said casually.

"What! How!"

"I killed her," he smiled. "Pushed her into the River of the Dead on the way here…after giving her a good feeling up of course."

"That was unnecessary," Impa rolled her eyes humouredly.

"Link…How could you!" Zelda cried. "This isn't like you at all! You shouldn't even joke about…"

"I'm not joking," he smirked with narrowed eyes. "Her breasts were nice and supple, not flat like yours. And what a peach she has on her. Almost as squeezable as her funbags. Never felt better ones than those."

"Even mine?" Impa asked.

"Yours are bigger," he nodded, "but hers are better."

"I suppose that's what I get for breastfeeding," Impa smiled lightheartedly.

"You…and you…!" Zelda said, beginning to breathe too hard for her own good.

"Oh, don't think about it too hard, Zelda," Impa said. "He only slept with half of me, the Light half."

"Yeah, Darkie was a total ice queen," Link chuckled.

"Opposites attract I suppose."

"But we're married…" Zelda whimpered. "And she's my nanny!"

"Well, we did it before you took down the barrier," Link said. "Darkie summoned me to take her out…but Light and I agreed that it would be better for both of us if we just went at it in bed."

"This isn't happening…this isn't happening," Zelda whispered to herself repeatedly, grabbing her head.

"Well, there was yesterday where I had to sub for Zelda," Impa reminded him. "It left me a little tired afterward, but nobody was going to get any sleep with Mr. and Mrs. Dark Link making so much noise."

"Dark…Link!" Zelda said, growing dizzy and sick. She doubled over and began to heave, covering her mouth.

Link suddenly turned completely black except for his now red eyes. "This is who you married. Impa, you wouldn't believe some of the stuff she had me do. I thought I was a pervert, but sheeze!"

Zelda finally vomited on the black floor and cried at the same time.

"Poor baby, now you're getting sick," Impa said. "Don't worry. Impa's going to take care of everything. You just stay in Kakariko with your hubby and let me take care of the rest. No more Sages trying to kill you and no more Ganondorf." A blue light appeared on the floor and Impa stepped into it. A blue crystal surrounded her and she floated up into nothingness, supposedly going to the Chamber of Sages to kill Rauru.

"So, should we start here?" Dark Link asked his wife, "Or would you prefer the comfort of the bed?"

Zelda took one look at him and emptied her stomach on the floor.

"Uh…yeah," Dark Link said, stepping back. "I'll be waiting for you at our house." He sunk into the floor as a shadow and disappeared, leaving Zelda to sob there.

Zelda could not believe things had gone so wrong. She was having dry heaves now, with nothing left to regurgitate. Once she gathered herself a bit, she gritted her teeth and played the Nocturne of Shadow on her lyre. Once it was complete, she took her sword in her hand and disappeared in a flurry of purple sparkles.

Moments later, Peach arrived via a paneled wall. "Zelda? Are you there?" She cursed herself for not listening to the spirit. She did not want to be in this place any longer than she had to, so she rushed back through the paneled wall.

_A/N: It's not over yet..._


	13. Death and Despair

**Death and Despair**

Zelda appeared in the graveyard, at the entrance to the Shadow Temple, and hopped over the fence. She sprinted through the graveyard and into the main area of Kakariko. She could easily sense Dark Link waiting in _their_ house just as he had said. She knew exactly what he was: an amalgamation of the darkness within Link's heart. Even the purest souls had some sort of dark side and Dark Link was his.

Once she arrived at the doorstep, she opened the door and saw that he was not there. She checked the bedroom and still found him absent, despite sensing him nearby. "Get out here, coward!" she yelled. Suddenly, her sword was grabbed out of her hand and she saw him standing right there beside her. He tossed the sword out the window and tackled her to the floor.

He pinned her down and said, "Now then, where did we last leave off?"

* * *

Peach popped her head out of the mouth of the well, clearly hearing Zelda's screams. At first, they had started out frightened and pleading. Now, they were more similar to the sort that had ruined her sleep. Peach knew exactly what was going on and immediately climbed out of the well. She saw Zelda's sword off to the side and picked it up. She ran up the stairs and opened the door. She walked to the bedroom and her stomach turned upon seeing Dark Link thrusting Zelda against the bedpost. Her clothing was torn open to the point where she might as well have been nude, while Dark Link appeared fully clothed, since he was essentially a shadow.

"Looks like we have a visitor, dear," Link said, twisting his neck to glance at Peach.

"Leave us at once!" Zelda yelled at her, clinging to him.

"Zelda, let me help you," Peach pleaded. "That's not the real Link. Do you know what he tried to do to me?"

"I wish he had killed you," she spat. "You don't deserve him. And now he's mine. Mine!"

"Let her go!" Peach yelled at Dark Link.

"Do you hear that?" Dark Link said to Zelda. "She wants me to abandon you."

"Never!" Zelda moaned.

"Let her go, you monster!" Peach said, brandishing the sword and stepping forward. She was blasted back by Zelda's Shining Ray.

"Don't you dare threaten him!" Zelda growled. "I will kill you before you touch him!"

"Zelda…" Peach winced, getting up as she held her wounded shoulder. "You have to listen to me… Malon's in danger…She'll die if we don't help her…"

"I hope she dies too!" Zelda replied viciously. "I don't need anyone as long as I have Link! And I don't want any competition…"

"You don't mean that… You can't mean that… Malon's your best friend and…"

"And quite the farmer's daughter," Dark Link snickered. "I had planned to visit her after the barrier was down, but oh well. I just hope her corpse is relatively intact…"

"Ew! Zelda, can't you see that he's using you?"

"I don't care! He's mine and I won't let you, Malon, or anyone else have him!" She emphasized her point by shooting Peach with a ray from each hand.

"Ah!" Peach yelped, being knocked against the door. Still she rose and tried to reason with her. "Zelda, fight him…I don't want to do this…"

"Why won't you just stay down and die like the others!" Zelda screamed, blasting her against the door and once again while she was down.

"…I've been in more fights than you'll ever probably have to go through," Peach said in a pained voice, standing up once again. "I can take more abuse than you can…I don't want you to suffer anymore…Please, just…" She suddenly lost her voice as her throat was tightened by Zelda's psychic hold. She was raised into the air, unable to breath.

"I…will…crush you!" Zelda said, squeezing her hand closed.

"I'm so sorry…" Peach managed to squeak. "I…hope you can…forgive me…" Her usual pink aura overtook her and flowed into Zelda.

Zelda suddenly gasped and dropped Peach immediately. She looked at Dark Link in horror and shuddered, unable to believe this was happening.

"Something wrong?" Dark Link smiled, realizing his little spell was broken.

"Aaaaah! Get away!" she screamed, pushing away from him as he locked his arms around her to press deeper. "Stop! Get away from me, you evil thing!"

"There we go," he grunted, holding her against the bed.

"PEACH, HELP!"

"Get away from her!" Peach growled, slicing the sword into his shoulder. He dissolved into a shadow on the floor and blended in with the shadows all over the house. Zelda rolled off the bed and huddled into a corner, trembling and sobbing in a fetal position.

"Keep him away!" she shivered.

"Show yourself!" Peach yelled.

"So, you think you can take me on in a swordfight," he said, rising out of the floor with his shadow sword and shield.

"Try me!" Peach said, taking her stance. "En garde!"

"Oh, please…You call that a…" He was unable to finish as she took a swipe at him, which he blocked with his own sword. He matched her blow for blow, but was surprised at her impressive technique. As he hopped onto the bed to get higher ground, she jumped and floated in place to get a height advantage on him. He had not seen this coming and was hit by the sword as it twirled in her hand. He disappeared once again and she dropped back to the floor awaiting his next appearance.

"Ah!" Zelda yelped, quickly scampering to the other side of the room, as Dark Link appeared where she had been.

"You're nothing but pure evil," Peach scowled, as Zelda crawled out of the room. "You don't deserve any mercy."

"You're better at this than I gave you credit for," he said, running at her to slash. She twirled around him and slashed his back. He disappeared once again. There was a creak at the front door and Peach ran there and saw Zelda huddled in another corner.

"Leave me alone!" she cried.

"Where is he?"

"At the door!"

Peach moved to the door and opened it, not seeing anything there.

"Right here!" he said, lunging at her from behind. She moved just in time for him to miss and break through the door instead. Too her surprise, however, he did a spin slash immediately after, knocking her painfully through the weakened brick wall. She quickly healed herself in time to begin defending against his many swipes. Fortunately, they were slow and predictable enough by her standards to defend against. She moved her sword to her left hand and continued to defend. Suddenly, she parried a slash and slapped him three times in the face, knocking him to the ground and allowing her to make a heavy slash while he was on the ground.

"How's that?" Peach said, as he disappeared into the ground.

"You know," his voice echoed around her, "the nice thing about being evil is that you tend not to care about being a fiend." He suddenly appeared in front of her and she slashed. Her sword passed right through the illusion and he grabbed her from behind. He laughed as he made her drop her sword and pulled her away.

"Let me go!" she struggled.

"We might as well continue from where we left off in the temple," he said, groping her.

"Oh, no you don't!" she said, ramming her rear into him. To the surprise of both of them, he was knocked back several feet.

"That's truly is a peach you have there, but you're not getting away that easily!" he said, rushing in and tackling her. As he began to tear at her dress, she turned over onto her stomach and attempted to crawl away. "Gotcha!" he said, grabbing the side of her panties through a hole torn open in her dress.

"Hey, cut it out!" she protested, grabbing onto them herself as he tried to remove them.

"Let's see if you've got the other kind of peach," he said, tugging at them, pulling her closer to him in the process.

"You pervert!" she screamed, kicking him as she turned onto her back. Still holding on, he scooped her up to her feet and held her close.

"Come on, now," he said, using his other hand to snap her bra strap. "You saw how much Zelda enjoyed it." He slid his hand onto her bare chest through another torn hole.

She cringed angrily and kneed him in the groin.

"Bitch!" he gasped, grabbing her even more roughly.

"Ow! Stop that!"

"These are mine now!" he said, squeezing her breast. The hand that had been tugging at her panties slipped in and grabbed onto her behind.

"I said STOP IT!" she yelled.

"Or else you'll do what?" he said, squeezing even harder and pressing her close enough for their noses to touch. "Sic Zelda on me?" Peach glanced and could barely see Zelda still sobbing fearfully in the corner in the house.

Peach pulled away as he attempted to kiss her and simply headbutted him repeatedly. When his grasp was broken, she grabbed his head and continued to headbutt him, despite how much it hurt. He suddenly disappeared and locked her arms from behind once again.

"That wasn't very nice," he said in a low, angry voice. "You're more of a bitch than a saint, you know that? Not even Zelda played that dirty when she first resisted."

"Let me go!"

"Not until I get you under control," he whispered into her ear. "And since you're being so testy about your underwear, I'll just have to take your heart the classic way…with nice full-tongued kiss." When she immediately began to struggled even more, he brought her to the ground and straddled her to keep her arms still.

"Stop it! Help! Zelda! Someone!"

"Don't worry. You'll learn to enjoy it….Strange how that crown stays on your head like that." He removed the distracting crown and tossed it aside. He lifted her head up and arched down to her. As she persistently turned away from him, he grabbed her face and brought it closer. There lips pressed together, but she kept them sealed and clenched her teeth. "Stop struggling!" He roughly pressed her face against his, but she was able to keep her teeth clenched. Then, he performed the dreaded purple nurple.

"Ouch!" she yelped. It was enough for him to force his tongue into her mouth. She whimpered as he held her face in such away that she would not be able to close her mouth on him. She could feel his dark grasp wrap around her mind, while his hands gradually slipped down to her chest and rear once again.

_"You're mine, now,"_ she heard his thoughts as his tongue searched her mouth. Despite feeling him mentally, she noticed nothing else happening. He, however, began to feel a burning sensation. When she noticed that he seemed to be in pain and was beginning to pull away, she held him in place. He began to scream into her and thrashed about, attempting to get away. When he removed his tongue, she frowned at what she was about to do. As he began to desperately beat her, she slipped her own tongue into his mouth, causing him to scream even more. A pink aura began to overtake him as she embraced him.

_"I pity you,"_ her thoughts spoke to him. _"If you can't take a simple kiss from a pure soul, just imagine what would have happened if you had attempted to take my purity…"_ She eventually let him go and began to spit, trying to get the taste of him out of her mouth. He was still thrashing about on the ground in pain. Once she was sure she had cleaned her mouth as much as she could for the time being, she turned to him and cupped her hands.

"Shining Star," she spoke solemnly, "return this dark fragment to the pure soul from which it has strayed." The Shining Star rose out of her and turned to her, communicating something to her. She turned her head in surprise, "…Oh…really? Well…at least put him out of his misery." The Shining Star circled around him and he melted away. It returned to her as she placed her crown atop her head.

She ran into the house and found Zelda still in the same condition. "Zelda, it's time to go."

"Keep him away!"

"He's gone, now. I destroyed him. You don't have to be scared of him anymore. Now, we have to go…"

"Why is this all happening to me," Zelda whimpered.

"I'm sorry, Zelda, but there's no time for this. Malon's in trouble, remember? She might die if we don't hurry."

"I don't think I can do anything," Zelda said. "It hurts to walk and…"

"Maybe you should just stay here," Peach said, getting a blanket from a cabinet and wrapping it around her. "I'll be right back as soon as I help…"

"Don't leave me here!" Zelda said, clinging to her leg. "What if someone else comes and…"

Peach sighed and used her healing magic on her. "That should help, at least. Now, come on."

"He didn't rape you too, did he?" Zelda asked, noticing the revealing tears in her clothing.

"He didn't get that far," Peach said, taking her hand. "Now we have to hurry."

"How do you know Malon is in trouble?" she asked, being pulled along.

"When I fell into the River of the Dead, I met the Sage of Death. She sensed that both you and Malon were close to death. She showed me the way out so I could help."

"…I wish I could have died instead…"

"You mustn't say things like that," Peach said as they ran down the stairs outside of Kakariko Village. "Never give up hope."

"I'm not sure I can take much more," Zelda said as they stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "I married an evil spirit; I helped the wrong Impa; they slept together; and I was violated by that wretched being…We have to save Malon…but how will we reach her in time? There's no warp there…"

Peach began to sing Epona's song.

"How do you know that song?"

"Apparently, my mother knew Malon's mother," Peach said after finishing. She had no idea what would happen, but she was sure it would do something. Fortunately, Epona the horse galloped into view and stopped next to them. Peach climbed aboard and offered to help Zelda up.

"I'm not sure I'm quite up this," she said hesitantly, climbing up. She sat side-saddled and added, "but if it's for Malon's sake, I'll try." Peach directed Epona straight toward Lon Lon Ranch. It was a quiet ride. Zelda could see the determined look on Peach's face and respected her strength. It was easy to see from the positioning of the large holes in her clothing that she had been ravaged by Dark Link, yet she somehow was preoccupied with the welfare of others. Then, a thought came to her.

"Peach."

"Yes?"

"How did you destroy him?"

"…He kissed me," she replied hesitantly. "It hurt him badly. Then, I just finished him with the Shining Star."

"A kiss…" Zelda repeated to herself.

It was sunset by the time they reached their destination and the twilight sky was crimson as blood. As Epona galloped through the entrance of Lon Lon Ranch, she seemed exhausted. In fact, the moment Peach and Zelda slid off, her legs buckled and she fell over.

"Hang in there," Peach said, patting the horse before turning toward the pasture. Growls and grunts that would only come from monsters could be heard. The two looked and saw one or more figures disappear in a light up ahead.

"I'll check the house," Peach said, handing Zelda her sword. "You check the pasture."

"Right…" Zelda said, stepping forward as Peach entered. Zelda heard Peach scream from inside and froze in place. A black Giga Koopa tackled Peach through the wall of the house and through the barn across from it. "Peach!"

"Don't worry about me!" Peach yelled, crawling away from the mutant turtle in the shambles of the barn door and scattered hay. "Help Malon!" The Giga Koopa got to its feet and tackled her against the wall. Zelda looked away and moved toward the pasture. She glanced through the hole in the house and saw dozens of motionless bodies, at least some of which were obviously dead. They were the same types she had seen when she first visited the tavern. However, the Gerudo were suspiciously not present. She suddenly heard footsteps in the grass ahead.

"Zelda?" Malon said, coming around the corner. She was holding her bloody shoulder and had scratches all over her face. Her blouse was ripped open and she had the mark of a claw across her chest. She seemed to be limping as well. She looked terrified. The clawed hand of a Giga Koopa burst through the corner of the house, grabbing the top of her skull, and pulled her back around the house, carelessly scraping her against the splintered wall in the process.

"Malon!" Zelda shrieked, still clearly hearing Peach being attacked by the other mutant. Zelda ran around the house and saw Malon being choked against the ground by the Giga Koopa. Zelda began to charge her Shining Ray. Malon saw it and seemed to panic, resorting to biting the Giga Koopa to get loose. Before Zelda could fire, Peach was tossed into her, plowing her over. The Giga Koopa pursuing Peach smacked Zelda out of the way and bodyslammed Peach.

"Help!" Malon screamed, breaking away from her attacker and running. A Stalfos rose out of the ground in front of her and slashed her across the torso, sending her spinning back through the air. Zelda's mind flashed back to the dream she had back in Delfino and her eyes grew wide. It was happening. Malon had the familiar large bloody gash across her chest. She rolled away from the monsters and scampered away. She yelped as she fell on her face before Zelda. The Stalfos had plunged its sword into her back. She gazed up at Zelda pleadingly as the Stalfos ripped its sword out.

As the Stalfos picked her up, Zelda was about to slash it. Suddenly, Peach flew by and slammed into the wall next to her. The Giga Koopa attacking her was panting and sweating a great deal. It got onto all-fours and rammed through Zelda and into Peach, sending her increasingly limp body through the wall. Zelda got up and ran at the Stalfos and Giga Koopa savagely beating Malon against the wall. She aimed to strike them. They saw her at the last second and sidestepped, leaving Zelda to inadvertently stab Malon through the base of her throat. Both young women gasped at what had just happened, though Malon's was clipped for obvious reasons. Zelda's shaky hand released the sword. It had been jammed all the way into the wooden wall behind Malon. As Zelda slowly backed away, the nearby Giga Koopa punched her away. She lay on the ground, still shocked at what she had just done. Malon had grabbed onto the bare blade, and was weakly making a futile effort to remove it, cutting her hands in the process. The Stalfos chuckled at her pain and kicked her in the jaw. Then, it moved toward Zelda. The Giga Koopa lumbered along tiredly. The Stalfos raised its sword to finish Zelda, but suddenly fell to pieces. The Giga Koopa weakly raised its arm, but it fell limp at its side. It gave a final reptilian roar and keeled over. Zelda slowly crawled to Malon and looked into her eyes.

"Malon…I didn't mean to…It was an accident," she choked.

"Why, Zelda?" Malon rasped, as a tear rolled down her left cheek. Her cut and bloodied hands slipped away from blade and to her side. She was choking on her own blood.

Zelda looked around panickedly. She grabbed the hilt and pulled the sword out. Malon eyes widened in pain and she fell over. Zelda sat her up and called out, "Peach! Peach, hurry!" She could hear her still fighting with the Giga Koopa in the crumbling house. The house rumbled and collapsed on itself. "Peach!" Zelda cried. She did not want to leave Malon, yet she worried for Peach's life. Peach was raised out of the shambles, being held by her throat. The Giga Koopa rose out and roared at her. Peach had taken a beating, but she was not beaten. She sent a swift kick to the Giga Koopa's face and it fell over.

"I'm coming," she said, quickly coming out of the wreckage. She froze when she saw Zelda and Malon in a growing pool of blood.

"Hurry, damn you!" Zelda screamed. When Peach still stood in place, Zelda forcefully pulled Peach over with her psychic hold and yelled. "Heal her, now!"

"Blood…" Peach shivered. Zelda took her by the throat and shook her.

"Snap out of it, dammit!" When Peach continued to stare, Zelda angrily took her sword to Peach's throat and seethed, "If I lose Malon, I _swear_ to Din I will kill you!"

"I…I…I can't," Peach whimpered.

"What do you mean you can't! Zelda bellowed, forcefully pulling her by her hair toward the blade. "Heal her… Revive her! Do it!"

"Zelda…you're hurting me," Peach said fearfully.

Zelda's face softened and became filled with distraught. "What am I doing? I'm acting just like Sheik…"

"What?"

"Please, Peach…" Zelda said, tossing her sword away and cupping her hands. "She's the only person I have left…I've lost the other important people in my life…I don't want to lose her…"

"But Zelda…I can't," Peach said.

"Please, I beg of you!" Zelda sobbed, bowing on her knees. "Try! Please, just do something!"

"…Okay…I'll try…" Peach said unsurely. She turned to Malon, attempting to ignore the red liquid around her. She cupped her hands and prayed. "Come back, Malon…" Absolutely nothing happened. "Come back, Malon!" Peach yelled. Her voice echoed into the distance as a warm wind blew from the east.

"Why isn't it working?" Zelda asked, panicking. "She should be okay now, shouldn't she? She's just sleeping, right? She'll be up after some rest, yes?"

"Zelda, I'm sorry…"

"No!" Zelda cried, sitting Malon up once again. "She's going to be fine, no matter what you say. Come on, Malon…Wake up! It's me, Zelda…your best friend, remember?"

Peach frowned sadly and rose to her feet, wandering off into the pasture, seemingly looking for something.

"Okay, Malon, this isn't funny anymore!" Zelda said frantically. "Please, just wake up! Say something! I don't even care about Link anymore! You can have him! I only need you!" She stared at Malon's unmoving body and held her close, whispering, "Please…don't leave me… You're all I have left…" Zelda laid her head against Malon's chest, hoping to feel the gentle rise and fall she had always been able to count on. She did not even hear a heartbeat now. She slowly sat up, forced to face the cold truth of reality as another shrill wind blew from the east. She looked up and saw Peach leaning against the fence on the far side of the pasture, looking into sky above the silo. Zelda looked back down to Malon's pale face. There was a saddened expression on her face. It was probably because of what Zelda had ended up doing to her.

Zelda felt a familiar rage build up inside herself. It was the same rage that appeared just before she had confronted Dark Link. She stood up and looked angrily into the sky. "Why have you done this to me! Why me! Why her! Why Hyrule! Answer me! Damn you Farore! Damn you Din!" She fell to her knees as she whispered, "Damn you Nayru… How could you do this? Do I truly deserve this? Does anyone truly deserve this? All I wanted was peace…" She kneeled before Malon's body and watched as the bleeding slowed. She stared into her pale face, as the sun continued to wane. Her mood had returned to the point it was before she broke the Shadow Barrier. "It seems that the Goddesses have abandoned me…Death and despair are my only company now…Cruel Destiny has only brought me false peace and false salvation…yet, no end." She picked up her sword and stared at it.

"It seems that I must bring it to an end myself," she said aloud. "And once I am dead, I will be with her once again…and the suffering will end." She aimed to plunge the sword into her stomach.

"Zelda, no!" Peach cried, suddenly tackling her from the side. Peach pinned her down and grabbed the sword.

"Let me go!" Zelda yelled angrily, trying to yank it away. "I want to die!"

"No you don't!" Peach protested. "You can't give up like this!"

"There's nothing worth living for anymore, dammit!" Zelda said, rolling on top of her.

"But Zelda!"

"No! I don't want to hear it! I can't stand it anymore! I don't have my Impa…instead I have a bastardization that only cares about power. I married an evil shadow and gave myself to him in the most shameful ways imaginable…and then, when the truth is revealed…he rapes me…"

"Zelda…"

"Silence," Zelda said coldly. "He almost got you too! And while you have a strong resolve to protect others, I can only disregard myself so much…I'm not as strong as you, Peach…I need to rely on others…But now, all my friends and family are essentially gone. What's worse, I'm the reason why…I could have stayed to help Link before all of this happened. I could have defeated the infernal Light side of Impa… I could have let Saria kill me in the first place…And now, I kill Malon…my best friend…and there's no bringing her back."

"Yes there is!" Peach slapped her.

Zelda, in a daze, said, "…What? How?"

"I met her mother. She knows what's going on."

* * *

Peach led her into Malon's secret room in the silo. Zelda had been carrying Malon's body at Peach's advisement. Peach had pulled her body through and Zelda joined her.

"Now, where is her mother?" Zelda asked.

_"Right here,"_ a voice echoed. It sounded like a fully mature version of Malon's voice. Zelda was somewhat startled by the omnipresent voice. _"Perhaps you would be more comfortable if I did this…"_ A ghostly white image of a woman that looked nearly identical to Malon appeared. The only real difference was that her expression seemed slightly less cheery and more passive.

"My goodness…"

_"It's a pleasure to meet you, Zelda,"_ the ghostly figure smiled gently.

"Hel…Hello…"

_"Don't be frightened. I merely need to provide you some instruction."_

"Please forgive me for what happened to…"

_"Don't fret…It was not truly your fault. I believe outside forces have been setting you up…"_

"Outside forces?" Zelda inquired.

_"There is no time to discuss such things, now,"_ she spoke kneeling before her fallen daughter. _"If you are to save Malon, even myself and the rest of Hyrule, you must stop the Sage of Spirit at once. She is absorbing the souls and spiritsof all things, be they alive, dead, or even inanimate. If she is not stopped, she will absorb all spirits within Hyrule. She has already begun to drain the energy from my ranch, as you have no doubt observed the bodies of the drained. Only you and Peach are somewhat immune to her hold…for some reason… No matter. Hurry to the Spirit Temple at once."_

"Can we teleport?" Zelda asked, taking out her lyre.

_"You can, but you must not,"_ she said urgently. _"Your songs transform you into energy to warp you to the temples. That would only make it easier for her to absorb you. I'm afraid you must travel there as you have to the other temples…"_

"You want us to kill her, don't you?" Zelda asked somberly.

_"Do what you must," _she said, standing back up and beginning to fade. _"I will give you further directions once you return."_

"And Malon?"

_"I will make sure she does not decompose before you return. She is instrumental to my plan."_

"This sounds like another trap…" Zelda whispered.

_"You have little choice, Zelda,"_ she said as she faded away. Zelda sighed and glanced once more at Malon.

"Come on, Zelda," Peach said, beginning to crawl through the hole.

"Shouldn't we retrieve some better clothing first?" Zelda asked.

"I don't think anyone is going to be around to notice," Peach replied.

* * *

They returned to Epona only to find her completely still.

"It will take us days to get to the Spirit Temple without a horse," Zelda frowned.

"Everything in the barn was unconscious too…" Peach sighed.

"Malon's mother mentioned bodies…" Zelda acknowledged.

"Some of the ones in the house were dead…" Peach said. "But I haven't seen…"

"Reeeaaagh!" a roar came.

"Rico!" Peach squealed, rushing through the hole in the barn.

"Oh no…" Zelda grimaced. She watched as Peach rode out on the Dodongo.

"Hop on," Peach said, petting it.

"Destiny must truly hate me," Zelda muttered, huddling in her blanket.

_A/N: Okay, the dark stuff is over for now. If you skipped it, you probably also skipped some plot._


	14. Soulless Land

**Soulless Land**

As Peach and Zelda rode Rico the Dodongo over the hills toward Gerudo Valley, the Spirit Sage's activity, though subtle at first, was becoming more noticeable. The wind frequently blew toward the west. It was becoming quieter the closer they got to the valley. There were no howling wolves in the distance, no hooting owls, and no chirping crickets. It was not until nightfall, however, that they could see an increasingly visible stream of souls flowing into the valley. They were also beginning to feel the pull of the Spirit Sage's grasp. Even Rico seemed a bit distracted. He was slowing down as well, having run all evening. Eventually, the mighty Dodongo came to a stop at the bridge of Gerudo Valley. He was panting hard and seemed completely drained of energy.

"You did good, boy," Peach said, petting him as she dismounted.

"She's getting stronger," Zelda spoke in a winded voice, also feeling the effects. "I feel so tired and sleepy…"

"I feel okay," Peach said. "Would you like me to carry you there?"

"Peach, we're not going to get there until sunrise," Zelda said.

"Where is the Spirit Temple, anyway?"

"In the middle of the Haunted Wasteland."

"It can't be haunted anymore, not with this going on."

They walked across the long bridge and trekked through the valley. Zelda noticed that the waterfalls were quieting and the water was slowing down. It was another sign of Nabooru's drain. Zelda wondered what could possibly be Nabooru's reason for this. Though Zelda could not remember ever actually meeting her, she had heard from Link that Nabooru was an honorable lone wolf thief. She never stole from the weak and poor. Like the rest of the Gerudo, she also had a policy of not killing. For her to do something like this was a bit out of character. Then again, she was probably under the same influence the others had been in.

Once they finally made it to the fortress grounds, there was dead silence. The torch lighting seemed more like dying candle flames. They did not even make a sound. The cold nighttime air was really only countered by the whitish stream of souls surging overhead. The Gerudo's wielding halberds had all collapsed onto the ground long ago. Zelda checked the nearest one.

"They seem to be alive…" she said cautiously. "I think we should take this opportunity to get some new clothing."

"I don't think we have time for that," Peach said. "If we take too long, we'll give out too. You're already sleepy."

"And cold," Zelda said, wrapping her arms around herself. "And so are you."

"How can you te…" Peach asked before following her gaze. "Oh… Well, I guess wrapping up a bit wouldn't hurt. Do you know where we can find some clothing?" She followed Zelda's gaze down to the fallen guard. "…That wouldn't be very nice."

"We could always waste time searching the Fortress for their dressers and closets," Zelda said, putting her hands on her hips impatiently.

* * *

And so, the two young women "borrowed" the outfits of the unconscious Gerudo guards. Zelda wore the uniform of the common purple clothed guard. She even wore the gauntlets and veil. Peach had been fortunate enough to find one of the higher-ranking guards and wore a red outfit. She needed no gauntlets since she could shift the appearance of her Gard Gloves. However, she did take the jewel-encrusted gold clip to tie her hair into a ponytail. She also found a pair of curved Gerudo swords that neatly slipped into the back unseen. It was still rather chilly for them since their stomachs were bare and they had no sleeves, but it was still less exposure than before.

They trod through the sand of the Haunted Wasteland until they came to the famed River of Sand. Thanks to the soul stream above, though, it remained still and they did not sink into the quicksand as they normally would. They followed the flagpoles to the empty bunker. Then, they were at a loss.

"Hmm, I'm not sure what we should do now…" Zelda said. "I don't sense any spirit guide and I have no idea which way to go."

"Why don't we just follow the stream?" Peach pointed overhead.

"That's the best we can do at this point," Zelda shrugged tiredly. Peach noticed her state and lowered her back in front of her.

"Hop on. You look like you need a break."

"I wouldn't want to impose," Zelda shook her head.

"You carried me," Peach smiled. "I'm just returning the favor." Zelda smiled and climbed aboard. Peach then carried her along the path of the soul stream.

She eventually noticed that Zelda had fallen asleep on her back. As the pull of the soul stream increased the power of the wind, Peach began to float over small gaps between hills out of boredom. It was not long before she began seeing strange, green wedge-like things sticking out of the sand. She could not tell whether they were plants or creatures, but they were all completely still. She figured they were some sort of strange cacti. She came across more and more of the objects as she continued. Before long, she came upon two gigantic formations of rock. The closest one seemed to have a sort of desert oasis within its borders. The ground was filled with the motionless green things. Peach could see a massive statue in the rock face of the rock formation. There were conspicuously large pieces of stone half-buried in the sand. She could see palm trees, a small pond, and a cave between the statues feet. The souls were all moving through there.

She reached the entrance as the sun was rising and gave a shake to rouse Zelda. "Zelda, I think we're here."

Zelda sleepily opened her eyes and looked. "Good…Now we just need to follow the stream to Nabooru." She got off Peach's back and looked around. The atmosphere of this temple was a myriad of emotions. Of course anger and sadness were there. However, there was also a hint of hope and dread. Most importantly, Zelda could actually sense evil here. It had not been present in the other temples.

Peach marveled at the architecture of the temple. In her opinion, it resembled Birabuto a great deal. Everything seemed to be made of the same stone. The small staircase was welcoming and the snake statues on either side were foreboding, yet charming. She especially liked the many hieroglyphics and strange writings chiseled into the walls. It was indeed a very spiritual place. Out of all the temples she had been in, this one seemed like an actual temple the most.

"The stream is leading through that hole in the ceiling," Zelda noted. She walked up the stairs and stood in the center of the red carpet, between two Armos statues. Being careful not to touch them, she could see a Hookshot target up through the hole. She motioned for Peach to come forward. "Hold on to me."

"Okay," Peach said, grabbing on. Zelda shot her Hookshot to the target and they were pulled up through the hole. They then held onto the edge and pulled themselves up. They were in a hallway of sorts. Zelda saw a massive stone block that took up the entire width of the hall and frowned.

"We need to move this somehow," Zelda said, pushing against it to no avail.

"What about your telekinesis?" Peach asked.

"It's unreliable," Zelda sighed, watching as a few souls wisped through the cracks around the block. "Your empowered rear would probably be more effective."

"Might as well try it," Peach said, stepping forward.

"I was joking…" Zelda muttered. Peach charged at the block and then spun around, ramming her behind into it. There was a grinding noise as the block moved a few inches. Zelda covered her face in incredulity.

"Hey, it kinda worked!" Peach cheered. "Now, let's try again!" Zelda kept her face covered and merely looked at the floor as Peach repeated her action. There was a louder noise as the block slid even further. "One more time!" Zelda suddenly heard a small explosion and looked up to see Peach wiping smoke away from the smoking pathway.

"What did you just do?" Zelda asked. "Are you keeping bombs in your back pocket or something?"

"That was so neat!" Peach said with sparkling eyes. "Watch this Zelda!" The block had a very noticeable indentation in it. Zelda watched as Peach ran at it and thrust her hind parts at it. There was a fiery explosion as Peach rebounded slightly off of the cracking, sliding block. Eventually, it fell neatly into a pit and became the floor.

"Wasn't that cool, Zelda?" Peach asked, hopping with glee.

Zelda stared blankly at her before closing her eyes to calm herself.

"Something wrong, Zelda?" Peach asked.

After a moment, Zelda opened her eyes. "…No, nothing at all. Now, let's move along, shall we?"

They walked down the remainder of the hall and reached a large door. It slid open as they walked through and entered the main chamber of the temple. They were between two staircases in the dim room. Peach was most impressed by the large statue of a woman wearing a snake around her body. She looked like an ancient variant of the Gerudo people. She held her palms out face-up. The snakehead on her head did seem a bit uninviting though.

"That's one of the Great Colossi," Zelda spoke. "This temple is under the Great Colossus, the statue of the goddess you probably saw outside. I don't know why there are two of them, though…" They watched the souls circle around the statue's arms as if they had nowhere to go. Zelda's eyes were drawn to the statue's eyes. There was something not quite right about the face. She could definitely sense evil flowing from it. Suddenly the stream straightened and formed a bridge between the statue's face and where Peach and Zelda stood.

"The Spirit Sage must know we're here," Peach said worriedly. "Should we use this?"

"We might as well," Zelda said, stepping onto the bridge. "This should be easier than the others. I don't have any emotional attachments to Nabooru, whatsoever. All I want back is Malon. And right now, Nabooru is an obstacle." She walked straight to the face of the statue. Peach hesitantly followed behind. The eyes of the statue and the snakehead twinkled. Zelda began to charge her Shining Ray, despite its draining effects. She blasted it into the Colossus's face. The rock shattered and crumbled away, revealing a passageway behind it.

"Won't someone be upset with us desecrating a temple?" Peach asked, following Zelda into the passage. The rocks soon came back and reformed the face, leaving them in total darkness.

"Maybe," Zelda said, finding the door. They walked through and saw a heavily armored knight sitting in a stone chair. The room had several stone columns and torches around, making it seem almost like an ancient throne room. There were even Armos statues situated against the walls, seeming to be guards for the knight. Peach and Zelda could clearly see a door behind the chair.

"Kolorado would love it here," Peach said, walking up to an Armos.

"Don't touch it!" Zelda barked. Peach flinched away. "All of these things are touch-activated. The only one we need to activate and destroy is the Iron Knuckle sitting in the chair."

"Okay," Peach said, casually walking up to the knight and looking at its gauntlets. "I don't think this suit of armor has any iron knuckles…"

"It's the _name_ of the bloody thing," Zelda sighed. "Stand back." Peach did as told, while Zelda took Peach's crown.

"What are you doing with that?"

"Watch," Zelda said, chucking the crown at the Iron Knuckle. The crown bounced off and clanged to the stone floor harmlessly.

"You better not have bent it…" Peach fumed, jogging to retrieve her crown.

"It was supposed to come to life…" Zelda whispered to herself. She then looked at one of the nearby Armos and tapped it with her sword. It stayed motionless. Peach watched her curiously as she tapped each of the Armos statues. She finally approached the Iron Knuckle. She tapped it and hopped back immediately, though it did not move at all.

"What are you doing?" Peach asked.

"…Stupid me…Of course she would drain everything in the temple first," Zelda muttered to herself. "But what about this door…?" She looked around behind the stone chair and could see there were steel bars covering the door. The soul stream was flowing through the room and circled around them.

"I think she's still trying to take our souls," Peach said. "I don't think she wants to fight us…"

"Well, I don't have time for this," Zelda said, standing before the bars and concentrating. She gritted her teeth and raised her arms. The bars began to shake.

_"Stop trying,"_ a female voice whispered to her coldly. _"Just do it."_

_"Relax, Zelda,"_ Sheik's voice spoke to her._ "Swim with the river's current…not against the it."_

"Sheik?" both Zelda and Peach sounded. The stream suddenly streaked through the door.

"Who was that other soul?" Zelda asked.

"That was the Sage of Death," Peach said.

"I certainly don't recall any Sage like that in my lessons," Zelda said thoughtfully. "Are you sure?"

"The bars are gone," Peach notified her.

"I did it?" Zelda said, having forgotten about them. "Hmm…well, let's move on." They walked through a very short hallway with flickering candles along the wall. More souls surged through the hall and through the next door. Zelda gripped her sword tightly and walked through the door with Peach.


	15. Shattered Soul

**Shattered Soul**

Upon entering the final room, Zelda and Peach found it to be a massive chamber. The walls and ceiling were covered in ancient writings and hieroglyphics. There were five platforms around the room, with the center one being the widest by far. It was very dark, except for the eerie light being given off by the souls circling over the center platform. It was too high for the two women to see what they were funneling into, though they could easily guess it was Nabooru the Spirit Sage. The same wind from outside the temple blew through the room. They could hear and see electricity crackling about the platform. Zelda motioned for Peach to climb the central platform with her since there were climbable ridges in the platform.

As they climbed, they suddenly heard a clang and the sound of a heavy, male voice groaning and growling. "Raaaggghh! More…Need more souls!" It sounded like a standard Iron Knuckle. Zelda and Peach reached the top and found an Iron Knuckle kneeling beneath the circle of souls. It seemed almost in pain as its fist trembled in the air.

"What did you do with Nabooru?" Zelda demanded.

"I am Nabooru," the knight spoke. "Those cursed witches did this to me…but their souls belong to me, now. I'm surprised you showed your wretched face here."

"Let me guess," Zelda said sardonically. "You think I put them up to it? Or maybe you think I was planning to…You know what? I don't really care. Just return those souls to their bodies."

"Should I revive Dark Link for you?" Nabooru suggested, standing up as more souls went into her.

"…How did you know?"

"Fool. Everyone in Hyrule could hear a banshee like you," she replied. Zelda was angrily at a loss for words.

"Why are you taking people's souls?" Peach asked.

"I…" she began with difficulty. "I need them…"

"Why?"

"…I must become stronger…to defeat Ganondorf."

"But you're stealing them!"

"She _is_ a thief," Zelda added. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like you to give them up."

"No you don't," Nabooru said bitterly. "You simply want your friend back… You couldn't care less about the others."

"If you don't give up now, I _will_ kill you," Zelda warned, stepping forward.

"Zelda…" Peach said, but Zelda signaled her to be quiet.

"You have a strong soul…" Nabooru said, summoning a battle axe into her gauntlets. "Give it to me…"

"Wrong answer," Zelda said, firing her Shining Ray. Nabooru, in what appeared to be heavy armor, easily hopped to the side.

"Don't make me kill you…" Nabooru warned.

"Impossible…" Zelda gaped. "But I'll take you down anyway!" She ran at Nabooru, who merely stood there. Zelda lunged at her and her sword clanged off of her armor. Zelda struck repeatedly, but Nabooru merely stood there unaffected.

"Why won't your soul come out?" Nabooru asked forebodingly. Zelda backed away, having no idea what sort of armor could completely withstand solid steel.

"I knew that armor was tough, but Iron Knuckles aren't that tough…" Zelda said in frustration.

"It's not iron," both Peach and Nabooru said.

"Steel?" Zelda said.

"Enough talk," Nabooru said, readying her axe. "I will have your soul…" Then, she seemed to wince and added, "…even if I have to kill you."

"We don't want to fight!" Peach said. "Please…stop stealing souls…"

"There's no point in reasoning with her. She's just like the others. I'll find a crevice to hurt you somewhere." Zelda ran at her and aimed for one of the holes in her visor. The Spirit Sage spin-kicked and smashed the sword to pieces. While Zelda was caught off guard, Nabooru hit her in the face with the hilt and seemed ready to slice her up the middle. Zelda pushed her away with her telekinesis at the last moment. Nabooru seemed to be absorbing her energy because of that.

"Give it to me!" Nabooru demanded. Zelda ran at her and attempted to slash with her wrist. Nabooru stepped to the side and punched her in the back. While Zelda was arched over, she was immediately punched in the stomach and held in the air by an unseen force as Nabooru drained her directly.

"Yes! This is it!" Nabooru said euphorically. Suddenly, Zelda fell still.

"Zelda!" Peach screamed.

"…No…That can't be it! Raaagh! Useless!" She then flung Zelda behind her.

"Why not help us instead of hurting us?" Peach asked desperately. "Just put everything back the way it was and we can fight Ganondorf together."

Nabooru stared at her and looked at the floor. "There's no turning back…"

"I don't want to fight…"

"I can sense an even stronger soul within you…I won't even need the others if I have you."

"I heard you were an honorable person," Peach said. Nabooru made no comment and her helmet and visor made it impossible to see her facial expression. Despite this, Peach could sense her discomfort. "…I'll make a deal with you. We duel one on one. If you win…there's no one left to stop you…"

"And if you win?"

"You have to put back every soul you took," Peach said sternly. "Even the dead ones."

"Why should I…" Nabooru suddenly seemed to have difficulty speaking again. "…No…I will accept your challenge. What is your name?"

"Peach."

"Very well, Peach," she rasped. "But you have no chance while I wear this strange armor, though cursed it may be."

"We'll see," Peach said, producing a bomb in her hand. "Here, catch." She lobbed the bomb at Nabooru, who held out her hand to catch it. It landed in her armored glove, as the fuse went down.

"That's all? Disappointing…" Nabooru said, tilting her head to the side.

"Psych!" Peach yelled, as her hair flared up. She focused her energy and the bomb created a massive explosion. As soon as the fired died and turned to smoke, Peach charged into the smog. There was a second, though much smaller explosion, and the armored knight was flung out of the smoke and slid along the platform a short distance.

"What the…!" Nabooru exclaimed, actually feeling pain. Peach did not give her a chance to get up and leapt above her to do a ground pound. The explosive force of it put cracks in the floor beneath Nabooru. "Aaah!" Peach repeated once again. "Aaah!" Her armor was actually denting.

"I may have a peach," Peach said, repeating. "But it's a Peach Bomber!" Nabooru rolled out of the way and recovered her axe. She spun it and swung. Peach blocked with her gloves, but was knocked back by the sheer force of the wing. It also made her arms hurt, even though the strike had given off sparks. Nabooru leapt at her with a wide vertical slash. Peach hopped to the side and attempted another posterior attack. Nabooru sidestepped and swung high. Peach ducked and smacked her. Nabooru had to catch her balance, so Peach took her chance.

"Aah!" Nabooru said, falling back as her chest plate pinged on the floor.

"It must be titanium, since it's so light and strong," Peach noted. "Ready to give up?"

"…I never give up," Nabooru said, standing up. She raised her arms and the armor burnt into purple flames. She was shorter now, but she looked more maneuverable. She wore pink pants and a white tube top. She had the most jewelry Peach had ever seen on a Gerudo. She had a gold choker, a jewel on her forehead, fancy earrings, and several bracelets and rings.

"So, this is the real you," Peach said.

"I should thank you for freeing me," Nabooru said in her real voice, reaching behind herself and revealing her twin swords. "But we have a duel to finish. I'd suggest that you draw a weapon." Peach frowned and took out one of the swords. She had never learned how to use two at once.

"Fine." Nabooru raised her swords and arched back. She suddenly leapt forward in a spinning slash. Peach blunted most of the attack but received a small cut along her shoulder. She did not dare look at it and simply counterattacked. "That's an interesting attack."

"You ain't seen nothing yet," Nabooru smirked, back-flipping. She repeated her stance and leapt forward. This time, however, her swords became covered in flame and she spun in midair at a 45° angle. As her swords grinded into the floor, sparks flew everywhere while Peach slowly backed away so as she would not have to block. Unfortunately, Nabooru was moving too fast. The final slash overpowered Peach and knocked her down. Nabooru stopped spinning and leapt into the air. Peach rolled out of the way just as the swords dug into the ground where she had stood.

"Whoa, are you trying to kill me?" Peach said, getting to her feet.

Nabooru winced again. A few more souls from above went into her and she spoke "…A duel is a duel. Now, show me your soul!" Her swords burst into flame again and she arched back. Peachh ran and hopped onto one of the other platforms. Nabooru suddenly blasted across the room like a drilling bullet, spinning with her swords forward.

Peach moved out of the way, and Nabooru skidded to a halt on this outer platform. She swiped at Peach. Peach parried and blocked the other sword. She kicked and Nabooru back-flipped away, followed by a roll to the side and a rising spin attack. Peach blocked but was knocked off the platform. She floated back to the main platform. Nabooru flipped through the air and struck. Peach was tired of being on the defense, but had to block Nabooru's skilled attacks.

"Take this!" Peach rolled back and pulled one of the green things she had seen outside out of the floor and tossed it at Nabooru.

"A Leever!" Nabooru exclaimed as the thing smashed into her. Peach continued pulling things out of the ground and tossing them. There were a few inactive Leevers Nabooru had to knock away as well as a few rocks. However, she was caught off guard when Peach began pulling out and throwing bomb flowers. Nabooru was burned by several explosions and knocked on her back.

"These are much better than turnips!" Peach said, continuing to pull things out. "Watch out," she warned politely as she added one of her Psych Bombs to the mix. Nabooru was blown across the platform and almost over the edge. "Are you okay?"

"…Your resistance is pointless," Nabooru said, getting up and shaking off the pain. "I won't lose to someone like you." She ran at Peach once again and continued to force her to defend. "You'll tire out eventually." As she swept low, Peach began floating and spun her sword at Nabooru. Peach made quick attacks that were only meant to put her on the defense. Eventually, she pushed Nabooru to the edge, on her feet by now. When Nabooru attempted to jump over her, Peach swung high and cut her down to the floor. Peach hopped down and ground pounded on her stomach.

"Oooh!" Nabooru coughed. Before Peach could do anymore, Nabooru lay back and wrapped her legs around Peach's neck. Peach was pulled back, but as Nabooru sat up to stab her in the stomach, Peach kicked her in the face repeatedly. The Gerudo let go and moved away.

"It looks like I'm winning," Peach said, getting up. Even though Nabooru had been on the offense most of the time, Peach had made her attacks count. Nabooru leaned on one sword tiredly.

"Souls, give me strength!" Nabooru called out. Several more souls surged into her and she glowed slightly. She leapt forward with increased speed and another spin slash, but Peach ducked out of the way and slashed her along the back. Nabooru spun around quickly and cut her stomach. Peach retaliated by doing a quick spin slash and a stab. The Gerudo was cut along her side but kneed Peach in the stomach. Peach crumpled over and fell to the ground. Nabooru raised her sword to finish her, but hesitated, grunting as she felt her head throb. Peach moved away and could see that Nabooru was fighting inside herself about something.

"You're still cursed," Peach said in a pitying voice.

"Shut up!" Nabooru screamed. "I will not lose to a joke like you!"

"Joke?"

"I am the Sage of Spirit! This is my domain! Your soul…is mine!" More souls flew into her and she flew at Peach, knocking her up high with a slash. Nabooru zoomed up in a blur and cut her back down. As Peach healed herself, Nabooru stabbed her at least a dozen times in a split second. Peach kept healing herself as she was knocked against the wall of a platform.

"Souls, come unto me!" Nabooru yelled, summoning the remainder of the stream into her. An orange aura overtook her as her swords glowed with spiritual energy.

"Stars, come unto me!" Peach yelled. She became enveloped in a yellow aura.

"What!" Nabooru exclaimed. The Spirit Sage blurred into the air and drilled downward with her swords, but Peach moved away, leaving Nabooru to send sparks flying everywhere as she grinded into the floor.

"Sprites, come unto me!" Peach yelled. Her aura became golden. Peach's eyes flared and she took out her other sword. Nabooru, growling, leapt high into the air and slammed down onto Peach's blocking sword. By pure instinct, Peach used her other sword to pierce Nabooru through the stomach and slammed her against the wall.

"Uagh…" Nabooru coughed, sliding down the wall. She slumped over at the bottom.

"Oh my goodness!" Peach yelped. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to…"

"Finish me…" Nabooru spoke dejectedly. "Free me from this curse and I will release the souls of Hyrule…"

"Why did you do it?" Peach asked. "You're supposed to work with the good guys, not fight them."

"Arrgh!" Nabooru growled, getting up, despite still having a sword in her stomach. "I MUST HAVE YOUR SOUL!" Peach backed away.

"You're hurt," Peach whimpered as Nabooru ripped the sword out of her stomach. "I may regret this…but it's better than seeing you bleed like that." She raised her hand and healed Nabooru.

"Aaaggh!" Nabooru screamed in pain. "Your soul! Your soul! Your…ugh…" She collapsed with a thud.

"What! It's not supposed to do that!" Peach said, kneeling at her side and lifting her head up. "Nabooru, are you okay?"

"Erm…ugh…Peach?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks," she sighed. "I think you broke the curse…"

"I did?"

"I don't have the urge to kill you anymore," Nabooru smiled. "You freed me!"

"That's great!" Peach cheered. "Now, would you mind?"

"I'm a woman of my word," Nabooru nodded. She closed her eyes and concentrated. "Sheik says hello."

"Oh," Peach blushed as a flurry of souls exited Nabooru and flew out of the temple. They heard shuffling on the central platform and Zelda looked over the edge.

"You won?" she said in surprise.

Nabooru smiled and said, "Your friend is a competent swordswoman."

"You never told me you could use a sword!"

"You never asked," Peach shrugged. "Besides, you should have seen me fighting Dark Link."

"So, Nabooru isn't trying to take our souls?" Zelda asked, hopping down.

"Nope," Peach smiled. "I broke the curse. She's normal now." Zelda took a close look at Nabooru.

"You know, I must have bad luck being cursed this many times," Nabooru said. "Link came back for me a year or two ago and now I get caught again."

"You seem to be normal," Zelda said. "But why were you the only Sage I sensed any evil from."

"The witches cast as spell that locked me in that armor. I don't know why I was acting so strangely even after it came off, though"

"You were affected by the same thing that affected the others," Zelda said. Suddenly, there was quake. "What was that?" There was another quake.

"…It's coming from outside!" Nabooru said, getting up. She sprinted to the door as the temple rumbled about once a second. Peach and Zelda followed as best as they could, but the Gerudo was a much better runner. Peach in particular was lagging behind. All of the Armos statues and the Iron Knuckle had come to life and were wandering about their room, though everyone passed them by. Zelda and Peach caught up to her in the dark room immediately behind the statue's face.

"I'll take care of it," Zelda said, charging her Shining Ray. Then, it fizzled out. "…Did you…?"

"I gave back everything I took," Nabooru said. "This is my temple, so I'll take care of it." The rocks suddenly floated out of the way and Nabooru hopped out and slid down the front of the statue, landing in its lap.

"Wait up!" Peach panted as Zelda hopped out next. Peach caught her breath and floated down as Zelda followed Nabooru through the door. Peach lagged behind and saw them fall through the hole to the entrance room. She eventually met them just outside the entrance. They were staring out into the distance at something.

"Oh my Goddesses…" Zelda whispered.

"What is it?" Peach said, bending over to catch her breath.

"You said that metal I was in was titanium, right?" Nabooru said, staring straight ahead.

"Yeah…" Peach panted.

"Well, I guess this would be a Titanium Knuckle," Nabooru said blankly.

"More like a Big Titanium Knuckle," Zelda corrected. Peach looked to see what all the fuss was about.

There was indeed a large silhouette of the Big Knuckle slowly marching into the territory of the Great Colossus. Slowly, it came into the morning sunlight and was in shining silver armor. What was so frightening about it, though, was it's sheer size. It had to be at least 30 stories high, almost as high at the Spirit Temple itself.

"If that gets here, it'll destroy the temple!" Nabooru said.

"But how do we stop it?" Zelda asked. "We're all out of energy… Even if we had energy, I'm not sure what we could do… Can you steal its soul?"

"Zelda!" Peach whined.

"This is an emergency, Peach!"

"…It doesn't have a soul…" a disillusioned Nabooru said. "I don't know how that thing could move without something running it…"

"It's a machine…" Peach said.

"Like those giant metal Bowsers in Birabuto?" Zelda asked.

"Exactly like those…" Peach said worriedly. "But this one is completely computerized…Bowser must have finally gotten word that we're here."

"At least I can use a song to warp us out of here," Zelda said, taking out her lyre.

"No!" Nabooru exclaimed. "I can't let it destroy the Spirit Temple. This place is my home, my place of worship…"

"It can't be helped," Zelda said. "It'll be here in only a few minutes."

"I have to try something," Nabooru said solemnly. She sat down in place and began to meditate. "I'd appreciate any help."

"You wouldn't be able to beat that thing even if you still had all the souls in Hyrule," Zelda said.

"Let her try," Peach said. "Be ready to get us out of here though…"

"Ancient spirits…" Nabooru muttered as the behemoth's footsteps became closer. "Help me defend these sacred grounds. Great Colossus, I call upon your power!" The temple rumbled more, even without the Big Knuckle. Rocks fell all around them.

"The statue…" Peach said, looking up. "It's moving."

"What?" Zelda exclaimed, looking up as well.

Slowly, the sun baked Great Colossus, which had been seated on the outside of the temple slid off the rock wall. Unlike the one inside the temple, this one was devoid of paint and erosion had taken away much of its detail. Beyond cosmetic appearances and its former sitting position, it was exactly the same. Its feet crashed into the sand, shaking the entire area. While Peach and Zelda moved for cover, Nabooru sat in place with her eyes closed. The Great Colossus was nearly as tall as the Big Knuckle. It marched forward and confronted the Big Knuckle. The robot responded by swinging its axe. The Colossus braced itself and caught the axe. Excess dust and sand fell off of the ancient statue from the sheer force of the blow, but the statue pulled it away and tossed it aside. It punched the Big Knuckle, but the machine merely continued forward. The Big Knuckle continued to march, even as the Colossus pushed against it.

"It's not strong enough!" Peach said.

"We should leave while we still can," Zelda suggested.

"I can do this," Nabooru grunted. "I just need help…"

Peach kneeled next to her and closed her eyes to pray. "Shining Star, please help the ancient spirits defeat this infernal machine!" The Shining Star rose out of her and flew beneath the sand. There was more rumbling in the distance. Suddenly a second Colossus rose from the sand, where the pieces of rock had been sticking out, behind the Big Knuckle. It was in a similar condition to the already active one in that it lacked much detail beyond the body and face. However, it seemed to not have any clothing chiseled into it at all.

First, it grabbed onto the Big Knuckle's feet, stopping it briefly. Then, the robot shook its feet loose and continued to march. The second Colossus leapt onto its back and continued to try to hold it still, wrapping its arms around the robot's neck. With two Colossi against it, the Big Knuckle had been slowed quite a bit, but it still managed to move forward. It punched the first Colossus, cracking its face, and got more leeway. The Colossus grabbed its waist and continued its attempt to impede the machine.

"We just need one more!" Nabooru grunted.

"Zelda…" Peach said, also concentrating.

"My telekinesis can't do all that!" Zelda balked.

"Just have faith…" Peach said. "Use the power within."

"The last Colossus is still tainted," Nabooru said with difficulty. "It's of the dark element now."

"Darkness…" Zelda sighed, taking a seat next to them. "You've had your way with me before, but now it's time for you to work for me."

"You can do better!" Nabooru said urgently as the shadow of the giants came over them.

"Ancient spirits, please protect us…" Still nothing happened. "If you don't act now, the temple will be destroyed!"

"Calm yourself," Nabooru said. "Move with the wind, not against it."

"…Please, I beg of you; help us," Zelda sighed, knowing that the giants were right in front of them. The Big Knuckle grabbed the two Colossi by their heads and tossed the statues to opposite sides of itself. As it leaned forward to look down at the three humans, it raised its foot over them. "Fuck!" Zelda screamed, completely throwing Peach out of her concentration. At the same moment, a stone arm burst through the temple wall and grabbed the Big Knuckle's face. The Big Knuckle stumbled and attempted to release itself, but the hand crushed its head in its fist, making the entire machine go still. It fell backward and crashed into the ground thunderously.

"It worked!" Zelda cheered, as a cloud of dust and sand washed over them.

"Watch your language!" Peach scolded her, covering her face.

"Thanks for the help," Nabooru said. "Now, let's try to put the statues back where they were, okay?"

"I don't know if I can do that so easily again," Zelda panted.

"I'm pretty tired," Peach said, also panting. "I've been awake since yesterday…"

"Just give it a try," Nabooru said.

"Hmm…" Zelda thought. Then, she suddenly screamed, "Shit!"

"Zelda!" Peach balked, startled. The arm sticking out of the temple retracted back inside.

"Hey, it worked!" Zelda said, pleasantly surprised.

"That it did," Nabooru commented.

"Still…," Peach said sleepily. "You shouldn't…you shouldn't…" She fell back against the ground asleep.

"We should probably head to the fortress," Nabooru said, ignoring Peach.

"I'm a little tired," Zelda said.

Nabooru smiled as she picked up Peach. "I'll carry Peach. All you have to do is walk."

_A/N: You might be wondering: "Since when could Peach use a sword?" My laziness inclines me to say, "Since I decided to put in a plothole." But in true reasoning, I would say that she either took up fencing, kendo, or even just baton throwing (modifying the technique for a sword). Or you could just say that she picked it up in one of Mario's crazy parties. If they can have a gunfight (duel)in a Mario game, why not a sword fight?_


	16. The Sage of Life

**The Sage of Life**

Peach awakened in a dark room with only a flickering candle. She was lying under a sheet on a small bed, and Zelda sat next to her on the floor. She was in little more than a cloak.

"I see you're awake," Zelda said, opening one eye.

Peach yawned and stretched. "How long has it been?"

"About five hours," Zelda said. "We're at the Fortress right now. Nabooru is waiting to escort us back to Lon Lon Ranch.

"That's good," Peach said, shuffling around under the covers. "Um…Zelda?"

"Yes?" Zelda said, closing her eyes with a smile.

"Where is my clothing?"

"The Gerudo you took it from is an officer," Zelda said. "She didn't think much of _asking_ for it back, so she took it back."

"And my bra?" Peach said a little more urgently.

"I told you they were thieves," Zelda replied.

"Zelda…"

"Don't worry. Nabooru made sure we would have something to wear, especially since you forgot your backpack at Lon Lon Ranch before we even went to the Water Temple."

"I was wondering where that thing went…"

* * *

Peach, Zelda, and Nabooru arrived at the entrance to Lon Lon Ranch on horseback. Actually, Peach simply rode Rico back. She was wearing a very plain pink dress with her brooch sewn into it. Zelda wore a lighter pink dress, but kept the gauntlets, much to the chagrin of a Gerudo guard.

At Nabooru's orders, other Gerudo's had already reclaimed the ranch and apprehended the Giga Koopas, while destroying the Stalfos. They were in the process of helping survivors out of the wreckage of the house. As she passed by, Peach used her Group Hug spell to heal everyone in the wreckage and made a note to return to revive the rest later. Nabooru stopped to help the others while Peach and Zelda rode to the silo. Zelda seemed terribly anxious to see Malon once again.

Once they entered the secret room, they could see the spirit of Malon's mother floating there in wait. _"Good work, ladies. You not only restored the souls of Hyrule, but you did it without having to take life. I'm very proud of you two."_

Zelda bowed slightly. "Thank you, Mrs…um…"

_"There's no need for formalities,"_ she smiled. _"You may call me Mother Malon."_

"It's strange that I never learned your name before," Zelda said, looking back down at her friend beneath the hay.

"I know I can revive her now," Peach said, cupping her hands.

_"Before you start, I must first tell you that I used to be the Sage of Life."_

"I don't remember anything like that in my studies," Zelda said, tilting her head to the side.

_"I'm also sure you never heard of the Sage of Death,"_ Mother Malon said. _"You see, before you were born, athree of us awakened as Sages. We had no idea why, since no great evil was threatening the Triforce to our knowledge. It was just a war over Hyrule, as bad as that in and of itself may be. However, we all took advantage of our powers and eventually died under similar circumstances. I now realize that it was only through premature death that we are now able to help you."_

"How?" Zelda and Peach inquired.

Mother Malon held out her ectoplasmic hand, and a rainbow-colored medallion appeared. _"This is the symbol of my power. I was only able to reveal it recently. I bestow this upon my daughter, so that she may become the Sage of Life."_

"I don't understand," Zelda said.

"Why would you do that?" Peach asked.

_"Though I still retain the title, my current state disallows me from using my powers. Though Malon is currently dead, her body is still intact. Mine was cremated and scattered about this room. Peach's power to revive someone merely heals the body and returns the soul to it. She cannot revive me…but…"_

"I can revive Malon…"

_"Correct,"_ she said, as the Life Medallion sunk into Malon._ "There is but one thing I must warn you of… This…ancient Sage madness issue…"_

"What is causing it?" Zelda asked desperately.

_"I don't know,"_ she said sedately. _"What I do know is that it is like a hereditary allergic reaction, specific to only a certain type of people…in this case, Sages. It seems to be inactive when the Sage is dead, but if they are brought back to life…who knows? Peach, you broke the spell on Nabooru with your white magic. Considering the nature of this illness, I would advise that you be ready to use it on Malon."_

"I understand," Peach nodded. "Zelda, you should probably stand…back?" Zelda had already scrunched herself back into the hole and looked from a distance.

"I know. Please, proceed."

"All right…Malon, Come Back!" she prayed. A holy light shined down on Malon's body and a star floated down and into her. Her stomach arched up and she gasped. Peach stood back as her wounds healed and she caught her breath.

"Malon…" Peach said cautiously.

"Ungh…" Malon moaned, sitting up. She wiped the straw off herself. When she caught sight of Peach standing there and Zelda slowly peeking out of the hole, she began to whimper and backed against the wall. "You again! Please, don't hurt me! Just leave me alone!"

"Malon, I'm sorry!" Zelda said, getting out of the hole.

Malon turned away and cowered against the wall. "Don't come any closer! What did I ever do to you?" Peach looked to her mother, who seemed somewhat bewildered.

_"Malon, sweetie,"_ she said gently. _"These are your friends, Zelda and Peach. What did they do to deserve this?"_

"I'll make it better," Peach said, casting her magic.

"You're healing me?" Malon said in astonishment. "You're just trying to trick me, aren't you? Don't be so cruel!"

"It didn't work," Peach said.

_"She's not under the curse,"_ Mother Malon noted. _"The poor thing is just traumatized… Malon, please, just tell me what they did to you."_

"Mother?" Malon whimpered. "They tortured me! They brought those turtle monsters here when the Gerudos had left! They humiliated me and…and hurt me…and laughed at me!"

"No we didn't…" Peach whispered.

"And then, Zelda killed me!" Malon cried.

"I'm so sorry, Malon," Zelda said. "It was a mistake…"

"Just go away!" Malon whimpered.

_"Everyone calm down,"_ Mother Malon said, raising her hands. _"I understand now."_

"Please, explain," Peach said, noticing that Zelda was crying as much as Malon.

_"Impostors,"_ she said. _"Those other women were not Peach and Zelda."_

"Other women?" Peach repeated.

"Yes they were!" Malon insisted. "They looked exactly the same and talked the same. They even knew everything about Zelda and me. How could they not…"

"How were they dressed?" Zelda choked.

"Like princesses!" Malon exclaimed. "Nothing like what you've been wearing. You just wanted to show off!"

_"Therein lays the discrepancy,"_ her mother said. _"Malon, these two had just been ravaged. There clothing was in horrible condition. Peach's dress was full of holes. And Zelda was wearing a blanket because she barely had anything left."_

"Huh?"

"Malon," Zelda said sadly, stepping forward slowly. "I would never do any of that to you…but I did accidentally kill you…I'm sorry…I was…I was trying toattack the Stalfos and Giga Koopa…but I hit you instead. I'm so, so sorry…"

"It's true, Malon…" Peach said.

_"Was there anything else they did out of character?"_

Malon cringed and choked, "They…they made out with each other…in front of me."

"They did what!" Zelda shouted. She squeezed her fist closed to the point it began to bleed. "Those evil…I'll kill them…I'll make them beg for…"

"Zelda?" Peach said, stepping away fearfully.

"You know damn well what damage they've done! They're the ones who've been setting me up this whole time! Oooh! They framed me! They maimed Ruto and killed her father! They invaded Death Mountain and killed Darunia's son! They ruined Saria! They're probably the ones behind Nabooru and Impa's states, too…"

"Why would they?" Malon said, still crying.

Zelda kneeled before her and took her trembling hands. "Malon, you know me. After all we've been through together, you know I would never do anything to hurt you on purpose. You know I would never commit such disgusting acts…"

"I don't know…"

"Please, believe me, Mal," Zelda cried. "You're the only one I have left in this world."

"She went through a lot for you, Malon," Peach said. "She threatened me when I couldn't revive you. She almost killed herself after she accidentally stabbed you, but your mother told us something was going on. We went straight to the Spirit Temple to get your soul back. Zelda's suffered so much, Malon. She…" Peach whispered into Malon's ear about Dark Link, though Zelda could hear her.

Malon was shocked. "That…can't be true…"

_"It is,"_ her mother said. _"The Sage of Death told me herself. Zelda really does care for you, Malon. If she had not, she would have taken her own life immediately after the incident in Kakariko."_

Malon looked to Zelda, who was covering her face, trying not to break down in tears. "Zelda…is that true?"

Zelda was too choked up to speak and merely nodded.

"…I'm the Sage of Life now…aren't I?" Malon said, now settled enough to recognize the power within her.

_"Yes, my daughter,"_ her mother nodded. _"It is a great responsibility, but I'm sure you can handle it. I had planned for you to go with Zelda and Peach to revive the Sage of Death… Only you have the power to revive one without a proper body…"_

"…Really?" Malon asked. Her mother nodded. Malon closed her tearful eyes. A rainbow of light shined about the room and her mother became of flesh and blood. She was surprised to be alive once again and felt herself. Then, she dropped to her knees and hugged her daughter.

"How I've missed being able to touch you," she said, tearfully.

"I missed you too, Mother," Malon said. Her eyes were drawn to Zelda, who stood in place. Zelda seemed happy for her, but also looked sad as well. Mother Malon noticed them gazing at one another. She smiled and released Malon.

"Peach, let's give them some time alone," Mother Malon said. Peach said nothing and merely followed her out. Once they were gone, it was just Zelda and Malon staring at one another.

"Malon…"

"Come here," Malon smiled, opening her arms wide. Zelda nearly tackled her and embraced her tightly. "Whoa! Try not to kill me again, okay?"

"You're all that matters," Zelda cried, overwhelming her with kisses.

"Okay, okay…okay Zelda!" Malon said, holding her back.

"I…I just missed you so much," Zelda whimpered.

"…Me too," Malon said, hugging her tightly.

* * *

Once they exited the silo, Peach began to walk toward the house, but Mother Malon held her back.

"I'm just going to revive the rest of the people in there," Peach explained.

"Please, don't," she said. "At least…not yet."

"Is something wrong?"

"My husband is in there," she said somberly. "I think it would be a bit stressful for him if he saw me suddenly alive again. It was such a difficult adjustment for him when I died. Let's at least wait until Malon and Zelda are done…Then, she can revive all of them at once."

"I understand," Peach said, sitting against the silo. She could tell that it was Mother Malon who would be stressed rather than her husband.

"You're so agreeable and friendly," Mother Malon smiled, sitting next to her. "Just like your mother."

"…You knew my mother?" Peach asked. "I do know Epona's Song."

"I taught that to her when I was about Malon's age," she said.

"When was the last time you saw her?" Peach asked hesitantly.

"Um…almost 20 years, I suppose," she answered. "Why?"

"Nothing."

"No, really. What is it?"

"…I haven't seen her for about that long," Peach said nervously.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Mother Malon apologized. "She was a great friend of mine. She even helped stop the war. I can't imagine a better…"

"I'd rather not talk about her," Peach said quietly. Mother Malon was stifled. So, they simply watched as the Gerudos continued their work in the distance. Eventually, Sofuru walked over.

"Is that you, Malon?" she asked. "Did you have a growth spurt or something?"

"Sofuru?" she replied. "It's me, Mother Malon."

Sofuru studied her and got a look of surprise. "Are you a ghost?"

"Not anymore," she said, rising to her. "I'm back!"

"Oh, it's good to see you again," Sofuru said, hugging her.

"Do you know each other?" Peach asked.

"I should explain," Mother Malon said. "Peach, I used to be a medicine woman. I dealt in herbal medicine, healing arts, fertility drugs, aphrodisiacs…even contraceptives. That's why I'm called Mother Malon."

"She's the reason I have two daughters," Sofuru smiled. "Before that, I was as barren as the desert."

"I see," Peach nodded.

"Where's little Malon and Zelda?" Sofuru asked, looking around.

"They're having private time inside," Mother Malon smiled.

"Oh…" Sofuru said.

"They've been in there an awfully long time," Peach said, looking into the twilight sky. "I know they needed time to talk and forgive each other, but it shouldn't take this long." Mother Malon sat down silently and had a content smile on her face. "Doesn't that worry you?"

"They're fine," Sofuru said, also smiling.

"What could they be doing?" Peach asked aloud. The other two simply smiled contently, knowingly teasing her. "I'm sure a little peek won't hurt." They made no reply. She was becoming frustrated with them. She simply walked through the door to check things out.

"She's a little more naïve than her mother," Mother Malon thought. Soon enough, Peach walked back out of the door and sat down.

"I wasn't expecting that," Peach said blankly. Then, she smiled. "Oh well. It's not like that's anything completely strange."

* * *

Zelda lay against Malon's chest, listening to the beat of her heart, as it rose and fell. Feeling fully rested, she figured it was morning by now. She noticed theserene smile on Malon's face and giggled at the many pieces of straw scattered throughout her hair. She knew that there were some in her own hair, though she did not bother with them.

"Finally awake, huh?" Malon said with closed eyes.

"You can't blame me for being tired," Zelda said serenely, laying back down on her.

"I know. You went through a lot for me. Thanks again. But your time in Hyrule hasn't been all bad, has it?"

"What are you getting at?"

"You've really been one-upping me since you got back," Malon said, holding her close.

"Like what?"

"Technically, you beat me to Link," Malon smiled. "And it sounded like you enjoyed him. And now, here we are…"

"There was nothing to be jealous about," Zelda replied somewhat bitterly. She wondered to herself how apparently everyone in Hyrule had heard her. She couldn't have been that loud...could she?

"Not even the honeymoon?" Malon teased her, nudging her.

Zelda giggled. "You know that's not funny…"

"Then, why are you laughing?"

"Because you make everything so pleasant, Mal," Zelda said, sitting up to stare down onto her. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Yeah, I love you too," Malon giggled. "Now, let's get going."

"Why bother?" Zelda said lazily, falling back onto her. "This is much more comfortable."

"For you, maybe…" Malon winced.

* * *

Once they had finally gotten themselves together and exited the silo, they found that the house had been completely rebuilt. There were bodies lined up in front of the house, with Gerudo guards standing by. They walked over to investigate.

"Good morning, girls," Mother Malon said, exiting the barn.

"Morning," they both replied.

"Malon, I'm sure you know what to do."

"Yes," Malon nodded. She raised her arms and a rainbow swirled about the bodies. Soon enough they were all alive once again.

"Zelda, would you excuse us?" Mother Malon asked, looking towards Talon.

"I understand," Zelda said, stepping back. She walked into the barn and found Peach eating a few mushrooms.

"Hey, Zelda," Peach greeted. "I'm happy for you and Malon."

"Thank you…for everything," Zelda smiled.

"You don't have to thank me," Peach giggled. "Being able to have a good night's sleep is enough."

Zelda smiled despite feeling a bit insulted by the comment. "Well, _that_ was a different situation… Besides, you slept pretty well after that Big Knuckle situation."

"Oh, well," Peach smiled. "I'm just glad you didn't make any noise this time…"

Zelda's eyebrows furrowed as she went into brief thought. Her eyes widened in realization. "Wait a second… Are you implying something about Malon and I?"

"You must really be in love since no one could hear you and there wasn't any cursing or…" Peach said, still smiling.

"Whoa, hold it. Maybe I'm hearing something different from what you mean. Exactly what do you think Malon and I did yesterday?"

Peach, still smiling, blushed. "There's no need to be so coy. I'm truly happy for you, Zelda."

"All right, seriously…Answer my question."

"Well, when you were taking so long to come out," Peach said, still feeling happy, "and Mother Malon and Sofuru weren't answering me about it, I took a little peek. Before I saw that, I thought you and Malon were just amazingly close friends. Now, I know that it's so much more. It's really sweet what you two have."

Zelda's eyes had widened even more, until her face went flat and she muttered, "You think I had sex with her, don't you? Well, let me tell you that is simply ridiculous. We were just…"

"Having private time and sleeping with one another," Peach winked.

"Yes!" Zelda said. "Literally. Nothing more."

"Oh, come on," Peach said. Her smile was becoming increasingly annoying to Zelda. "I saw you rolling in the hay…literally."

"Yes, literally!" Zelda said. "We were just playing! Hmph…I know that must sound silly, but we were simply having a nostalgic moment."

"Oh?"

"Not like that!" Zelda boomed.

"So…was that your first time doing that with her?"

"Yes…no…I don't how to answer that…Wait, no! I mean, yes! I mean…I did not have sex with Malon."

"I never said you were," Peach said, now obviously teasing her. "But you were definitely making love."

Zelda sighed. "You're twisting the meaning of that and you know it. We were just playing."

"You were kissing, too," Peach said, not understanding her combativeness.

"We've kissed before!" Zelda said without thinking. "…I mean…in a friendly way."

"On the mouth?"

"Yes! On the mouth!" Zelda said irritably. "I guess people from your world don't do that, but in Hyrule we do."

"…You've never kissed me before," Peach said innocently, to which Zelda arched away from her.

"It's not between _just_ friends," Zelda said, giving her a strange look. "Only _certain_ friends."

"Have you ever kissed Link that way?" Peach asked, no longer teasing her. "…The real one?"

"…No," Zelda said defeatedly. "But…he doesn't visit me as often as I like and…I'm not even sure if he knows how I feel about him. I'm sure Malon has the same problem. Thus, we have no need for such a…strange relationship. It is unique, yes, but not…"

"Then, why were you touching each other like that without any clothes on?"

"How long were you watching anyway!" Zelda screamed.

"What's going on in here?" Malon asked, stepping through the door with her mother.

"Peach thinks we had unholy relations with one another," Zelda sighed.

"Oh?" Malon giggled. She wrapped her arms around Zelda's waist and pecked her on the cheek.

"Oh, Goddesses, don't encourage her…" Zelda sighed, laying her head against her. Malon simply giggled.

"Peach, may I have a word with you outside?" Mother Malon asked, also amused. Peach followed her outside and they stood near the entrance.

"What is it?"

"Well, first there is the matter of your next destination. I've already briefed Malon and she is informing Zelda. The Sage of Death is the next Sage to be revived. Malon will be able to restore her and it will be Zelda's job to accompany her…for certain reasons which will become apparent later. Since the curse has apparentlystopped,you are actually non-essential to this mission."

"I'll go anyway," Peach smiled. "It's a promise Zelda and I made a while ago."

"I was expecting you to go anyway," Mother Malon smiled. "The other matter is about Zelda and Malon's…relationship."

"I know what I saw…but Zelda says it's platonic. Do Hyrulean people really do that with special friends?"

"Rest assured, Peach," Mother Malon said. "It _was_ what it looked like. As for Zelda, she is likely in denial…or she's just a brilliant liar."

"But why?" Peach asked. "Love is such a beautiful thing… Is it because Malon is a peasant and Zelda is royalty? I've read that in medieval times, the upper class couldn't even socialize with commoners."

"Oh, heavens no," she laughed dismissively. "It does concern the difference between our worlds however. You see, in Hyrule, it is socially unacceptable for people of the same gender to even have such feelings for one another, let alone make love."

"But what about the Gerudo?" Peach asked, pointing to a nearby guard.

"I don't swing that way, lady," the guard said, glaring at her. She walked away muttering obscenities.

Mother Malon had a reserved, but still amused face. "Well…you're partly right. It isn't unusual at all for Gerudos because their population might as well be considered totally female. The way they isolate themselves from other races and men…it would be ridiculous ifsome of them weren't…"

"We get the point!" the same Gerudo guard shouted from afar.

"This is a private conversation!" Mother Malon called back. The guard went inside the house and slammed the door shut. "Anyway, Zelda is simply protecting her reputation and perhaps her self-esteem. It would be best for her if you simply didn't mention it."

"What about Malon?"

"Oh, she doesn't care," she shrugged. "But she knows Zelda's feelings enough not to make it overt in front of others." Just then Zelda and Malon exited the barn. Peach noticed that they were holding hands. Mother Malon nudged her and she stopped staring.

"Well, Peach," Zelda said, folding her arms. "Did she tell you?"

"Um, yes," Peach said, smiling.

"Then, lead the way," Malon said.

"Huh?"

"You met the Sage of Death yourself, didn't you?" Zelda asked, taking out her lyre. "You're going to have to lead us to her." Peach looked to Mother Malon.

"Oops…" she said, shrugging. "I forgot about that…Well, it's a good thing you're going anyway."

"What about you?" Peach asked.

"I wouldn't be of much use to you. Besides...Talon and I…" she said, looking back to the ranch, "have some catching up to do."

"Ew," Malon said, destroying the mood of the moment.

"Oh, please!" her mother said with her hands on her hips. "The man sleeps too much for that. Now, take your weapons, bags, and whatever you need and go. We're on a schedule here."

"Is there any temple or warp song for…Life?" Zelda asked.

"Nature needs no temple," she replied. "If you must return quickly, Farore's Wind will do."

"Where is Nabooru?" Peach asked.

"I sent her on another mission. She claimed that you weren't the only ones she had trouble taking souls from. There were others, including Ganondorf. She said that one of them was definitely Link's."

_Note: Now, I know some people get really uncomfortable with what might be going on between Malon and Zelda. Rest assured, I intend to make it ambiguous for the comfort of more than one audience. Either way, it is definitely...unique. In other words, just because a characters says so, doesn't mean it's true._


	17. The Sage of Death

**The Sage of Death**

Zelda, Malon, and Peach appeared in the graveyard, thanks to the Nocturne of Shadow. Malon had a longbow strapped to her back, but otherwise looked the same. Peach had her backpack once again. Just as Malon and Zelda began to descend the stairs, Peach turned the other way and jumped over the fence.

"This way," Peach said. "Unless you want to jump into an abyss…" She led them back to Kakariko, which was still eerily empty. The only sound, besides a few birds, was that of the windmill slowly turning. Peach climbed down the well and the others followed. Soon, they reached the Bottom of the Well.

"Wow, this place is creepy," Malon frowned, looking at the dungeon-esque surroundings.

"Not as creepy as the Shadow Temple," Peach shuddered, though she knew it was actually connected to the temple. She was no less adverse to the environment of the well than she was to the temple. Peach walked through the ankle deep water and found the central dungeon. She took a deep breath, and attempted to ignore the blood all over the floor and walls as well as the large cross in the center. She stood before a particularly large pool of murky blood, though she looked at the ceiling instead. She stepped forward and fell through. Since she was not screaming, Zelda and Malon followed silently. They fell quite a distance, but Peach was floating enough to safely slow their fall.

"People actually drank from this place?" Malon asked, noticing a pool of who-knows-what in the center of the massive chamber. The pool was constantly changing colors and there were decayed hands sticking out. They could hear the moaning of ReDeads echoing from all around. Peach was trembling quite a bit, but she never stopped pressing forward into one of the meandering passageways. They reached a dead end that only had a blue flame floating against the wall. Peach jumped and floated through the flame. It was actually an invisible passage. She offered a hand to the others and helped them inside.

The passage was completely dark. Zelda created a flame in her hand to light the way. The darkness seemed to reach out and smother the flame. Zelda was about to question it, but Peach merely continued forward. They all took hands so as not to get separated. Eventually, more blue flames appeared and Peach followed their paths. Zelda got the feeling that they were going in circles but she said nothing. Peach suddenly stopped and the others bumped into her.

"We're here," she said through a shaky voice that echoed into the darkness.

"Where is here?" Malon asked nervously.

_"The Land of the Dead,"_ the Sage of Death spoke. _"I trust you have brought the new Sage of Life to revive me."_

"I'll be glad to revive you," Malon said. "The sooner we leave, the better…"

_"Be wary of the ancient madness that overtakes living Sages,"_ she warned.

"It only affects the other ones," Zelda said. "Malon was traumatized, but she wasn't mad."

_"If I do attack you…do not hold back,"_ she warned. Malon raised her arms and a rainbow filled the area, setting off that peculiar jingle that appeared whenever a secret was discovered. A torch for each color appeared around them and they appeared to be in a circular cavern with no ceiling. There were absolutely no visible doors around. The revived Sage of Death stood before them in a brown death shawl that covered all her face except her eyes. They were as red as Sheik's. She was tall and thin. What little skin they could see was milky white, though she was well-covered by her black cloak.

"You're a Sheikah?" Zelda said, somewhat surprised.

"Correct," she replied. A dead hand sprouted out of the ground, holding a rod of some sort. She grabbed onto it and pulled it out, revealing it to be a scythe. Immediately, she lunged at Zelda.

"Whoa!" Zelda yelped, bringing her sword out just in time to block. The sheer force of the blow knocked her back. "What's wrong with you?" She did not respond and simply took another swipe. Zelda ducked and stepped back, but quickly found herself against a wall. "Peach, heal her!"

"Right!" Peach said.

"Oh, no you don't," the Death Sage said, outstretching a white arm toward Peach. A black mist was emitted from it and overtook Peach before she could do anything.

"Ah!" Peach screamed, holding her sides and falling to her knees. She winced in pain, squeezing herself.

"What did you do to her?" Zelda demanded. The Death Sage turned back to her, but parried an arrow from her right.

"I have no quarrel with you," the Death Sage said, glaring at Malon. "Don't start one."

"Stay away from Zelda!" Malon said, readying another shot. The Death Sage raised her arm toward her and Malon suddenly flew back against the wall. The impact shook the room and she was plastered against it for a second before sliding down unconscious.

"Malon!" Zelda screamed. "You heinous…" She blocked another attack and disappeared in a green light before the follow-up could hit her. She reappeared behind the Death Sage, charging her Shining Ray. The Death Sage did the same and reappeared behind Zelda, kicking her down and preparing the final strike.

"How did you do that?" Zelda asked. As the scythe came down, it was stopped by someone holding a dagger. They looked and saw that it was Impa.

"Can't have you doing that," Impa said, as they moved away from one another.

"Impa?" Zelda said.

"Impa?" Peach repeated, looking up. When she tried to cast her healing spell again, the Death Sage used the mist to put her in pain once again.

"Stay out of my way, all of you," the Death Sage said, glancing at Peach.

"Really, now, is this necessary?" Impa asked. The Death Sage glared at her and disappeared. She reappeared closer to Zelda, attempting another deathblow. Impa flew over blocked it for Zelda. Zelda got up and went to check Malon. Seeing that she was still alive, she glared back at the two rogue Sages. The Death Sage seemed to be holding back, while Impa asserted herself. Still, the Death Sage seemed to be easily blocking every strike.

"You're pathetic," the Death Sage muttered disgustedly.

"You know I've improved," Impa grinned.

"Go away!" the Death Sage shouted, batting her aside with the flat side of the scythe. She ran straight for Zelda, who charged her Shining Ray. When she fired, the Death Sage leapt onto a nearby wall and pressed off, preparing a midair strike. She was yanked out of midair by Impa, who grabbed onto the far end of the staff, dangerously close to the blade. Impa swung her around and tossed her into a wall.

"You know I can't let you kill her, sis," Impa said, smirking.

"Sister?" Zelda murmured.

"This does not concern you, wretch," the Death Sage said, standing up. Impa snapped her fingers and dead hands sprung up around the Death Sage. "Hmph!" The hands suddenly sunk into the ground and grabbed Impa, holding her down. "This is my domain."

"Don't hurt her!" Impa yelled, quickly breaking the hands away.

"Stay back!" Zelda yelled, charging her Shining Ray. She was suddenly lifted by an unseen force and pressed against the wall. She could see from the approaching woman's hand gesture that she was using telekinesis. She looked around for anyone that would be able to help her. Malon was knocked out. Peach was still recovering and looked on helplessly.

"Now, die," the Death Sage spoke, preparing to cut her open. Zelda closed her eyes and felt the wall shake slightly.

"Ugh!"

Zelda opened her eyes and saw Impa wincing in front of her, staring directly at her. She was still smiling, though it was grim now. "Zelda…do me a favor, okay…Show Ganondorf who's boss…" She collapsed. Zelda was released from the psychic hold and could see an incredibly deep gash going through Impa's bloodied back.

"Fool," the Death Sage sighed.

"How could you!" Zelda whispered. "She was…your sister…" Then, tears welled up in her eyes. She screamed, "She was like a mother to me!"

"Just as I asked her to be," the Death Sage said, looking down at the corpse. "But she is not my sister…not anymore. Not after what you did to her."

"I already saw my Impa die before," Zelda said angrily. "Do you know what it's like to see someone so important die? And you killed her! My mother…"

"Zelda," the Death Sage said, removing her bloodied shawl. Zelda gasped upon seeing her. She had long hair whiter than Impa's. Her robe had the Eye of Truth on the front. Most shockingly, her face was the same as Zelda's.

"No…"

"I am your mother."

"What?" Peach gasped, barely able to speak.

"There is nowhere to run," the Death Sage spoke to her daughter. "Embrace death just as I did after suffering your birth. Consider it…returning a favor."

"No!" Zelda said sternly, raising her sword. "No one does that to the people I love! Not even my own mother!"

"Don't hold back." The Death Sage sprung at her, swinging her blade by holding the part of the staff closest to the blade. Zelda blocked as best she could, but she was being knocked around by every strike. When, she attempted a counter strike, her mother spun back, cutting Zelda's belly.

"Ah!"

Another attack consisted of the Death Sage kicking high and thrusting low at once. Zelda was hit by both and toppled over onto her back. Before she could recover, the Death Sage scooped her up with the scythe and slashed. Zelda had luckily been so dazed that she fell back, allowing her to only take a bloody gash across her cheek. She cut into the Death Sage's side, but the stoic Sage hardly flinched and spun in a circle with her scythe. Zelda was caught by it and was spun along with it until her mother stopped and sent her flying into the wall once again. She lay against the wall, breathing heavily.

"Get up," the Death Sage said.

"Why are you doing this?" Zelda winced.

"The ancient madness took me from the moment I was revived," she answered. "Though the excuse it is giving me has to do with what you did to Impa. Now, stand up and defend yourself."

Zelda struggled and was only able to get to her knees. She looked up at her tiredly, feeling the blood ooze from her stomach and cheek. Her mother glared back down at her, expecting her to get up. Zelda looked once more to Malon and lowered her head in defeat.

Her mother scowled and said icily, "I'm disappointed. What a useless daughter." Using her telekinesis, she grabbed Zelda by the throat and choked her in the air. Then, she looked to Peach, who was struggling to get up. "And you…you're nothing compared to your mother."

"Please, no," Peach winced.

"If you wish to save my daughter, I'd suggest that you hurry and heal me." As soon as Peach began, the Death Sage blasted more black mist onto her.

"Aaaaah!" Peach screamed. As she continued to focus her magic, the Death Sage put more effort into her attack. Peach screamed even louder and clutched her head. "Stars! Sprites! Give me strength!" The yellow glow fought against the black mist, but could not hold it back. It did weaken it enough for Peach to complete her spell.

"Hmph," the Death Sage sounded dismissively. Despite her outward appearance, she was feeling the excruciatingly painful effect of the spell breaking the curse. She immediately stopped her deadly attack and lowered Zelda, who was also healed to the ground.

"Thank you…Peach," Zelda coughed.

"You're welcome," Peach panted. "What was that attack?"

"You should be glad to share your mother's blood," the Death Sage said blankly. "She and you are the only ones who have ever withstood it. Everyone else I used it on died instantly."

"I think reviving you was a mistake," Zelda said, kneeling by Malon's side. "Mother or not, why would you have used that on other people, especially Peach's mother."

"They really didn't tell you anything about me, did they? Do you even know my name?"

Zelda was at a loss for words. "I never really thought about you."

"Good. It means Impa and your father were doing an excellent job."

"Father… He's dead, isn't he?" Zelda asked.

"You are indeed a Sheikah," her mother nodded. She showed little emotion at all. She did not frown, smile, or even arch her eyebrows. The madness seemed to have been the only thing that drove her to express anger.

"That doesn't make any sense," Zelda shook her head. "I don't even look like a Sheikah. I have blue eyes, not red."

"Not all Sheikah have red eyes and pale skin," her mother said, turning to walk through a wall that was not actually there. Zelda lifted Malon onto her back and followed, with Peach close behind.

"Why would you want me not to know anything about you?" Zelda asked.

"I wasn't the only one. Your father's advisors were behind most of it." The glowing floor now illuminated the passage, which used to be totally dark. It went through every color, as did the spirits that wandered by.

"But why?"

"They didn't want word to get out that the King had been consorting with a Sheikah warrior. It has to do with keeping the Royal Family bloodline pure."

"You said you met my mother?" Peach asked.

"You look almost exactly like her," the Sage of Death said. "I've fought her enough times to remember that face."

"Why were you fighting her?" Peach asked. "She would never do anything to hurt anyone unless she was defending herself."

"I assure you I did not attack until I was sure she was the one laying siege to the battlefield."

"She would never… Why would she? How could she?"

"You actually don't know, do you?" the Death Sage asked, with a subtle smile. "She is the Wanderer."

* * *

When they returned to Kakariko, they found it somewhat populated once again. There were a few Hylians, but most of the inhabitants were Gerudo guards. Upon seeing the Death Sage, some of them became nervous and avoided her. One of the less fearful Gerudo approached the group.

"Zelda, Peach, Malon, and…other?" she asked.

"Hilda or Ingrid will do," the Death Sage said.

"Yes," Zelda said. "What is it?"

"The Great Nabooru wishes to see you. She is in the large house in front of the graveyard." They headed into the house and found Nabooru sitting on the floor anxiously.

"Finally, you're back," she said, standing up. "I've got good news and bad news."

"Um, good news," Zelda said, lying Malon down while Peach went to get a pillow.

"I found Link's soul," Nabooru said.

"Bad news?"

"It was taken to the castle where Ganondorf is," she sighed.

"Well, can't you just take all the souls in the castle?" Zelda asked, signaling Peach to be quiet.

"No," Nabooru said. "He has a barrier around the castle. I can't even sense anyone inside."

"We'll get there eventually," Zelda said, noticing Malon beginning to move again. "Lie still."

"What do we do now?" Peach asked.

"Revive the Ice Sage," Zelda's mother spoke.

"Where would we find someone like that?" Peach asked.

"The Ice Cavern," the other three spoke.

* * *

Though it was getting late in the night, Zelda and Peach stayed up, while Malon slept upstairs. Zelda was talking to her very quiet mother, trying to catch up. Peach was waiting her turn.

"I'm not sure what I should call you," Zelda said uncomfortably. "You are my mother by blood, but…"

"I understand," she nodded. "If you are uncomfortable with calling me Mother, you may call me either Ingrid or Hilda."

"Why two names?"

"Ingrid is my birth name," she said. "Those who are close to me call me Ingrid. Hilda is a nickname I earned on the battlefield."

Zelda was uncomfortable with her lack of sociability. "Why do you seem so…stoical?"

"That is my way," she answered simply.

"Okay… What was your rank?"

"That is difficult to say. Officially, I was a lieutenant commander. But your father often made me his personal bodyguard. Other times, I was a peace ambassador."

"You speak of Father so distantly," Zelda said. "Did you actually love him…?"

She said nothing.

"Or am I just an accident?" Zelda whispered somberly.

"Both," Ingrid spoke. "…I never wanted a lover or a child. Your father distracted me from my duty to protect him and the kingdom. He made me uncomfortable whenever I saw him. He made me cross many sacred lines and taint the royal bloodline."

"You speak of it as if he ra…violated you."

"In a sense, he did," Ingrid said somewhat uncomfortably. "He never actually forced me...but that was still an unfamiliar emotion... I dislike him for it, but I still love him… And though I dislike you and think of you as a great disappointment…I still love you too…"

"Thanks…I think."

"Even though you technically killed me by being born," she continued. "Which caused me to accidentally seal Malon's fate shortly after her daughter was born…and then do the same to Queen Rita."

"Who?"

"Ruto's mother," Ingrid said. "The Ice Sage."

"I think that's enough guilt for one day," Zelda said, getting up and going upstairs. Peach walked over to Ingrid quickly and sat before her.

"How long ago did you see my mother?" Peach asked.

"Seventeen years," Ingrid answered. "I was pregnant when I last saw her."

"Why would she do such horrible things?" Peach asked.

"The Wanderer is supposedlya bringer of peace," Ingrid said. "I don't know what drove her to do it the way she did, but she seems to wield a power beyond that of even the Sages."

"She's still alive?"

"I'm sure of it," Ingrid said. "She withstood my assaults much better than you did, especially the black mist that crippled you. Though she was my enemy, she earned my respect. Had it not been for her, the war might not have ended, I would still be alive, and Zelda would have been nothing more than a miscarriage." Then, to Peach's disturbance,Ingrid smiled ironically. "I find myself regretting her appearance in light of such a pleasant alternative…but still, under different circumstances…"

"She would have been a friend?" Peach suggested hopefully.

"A trustworthy, but annoying acquaintance," Ingrid said. "She had a tendency to mistakenly think of me as jealous of her."

"Why?"

"I found her in the company of Zelda's father a few times," Ingrid said, raising an eyebrow, obviously hiding agitation. "They were intimate friends apparently…a bit too much for my liking…"

"Like…Zelda and Malon?" Peach whispered.

"I heard that!" Zelda called from upstairs amidst Malon's giggling. "I told you, we're just friends."

"No, not quite that close," Ingrid said. "Unfortunately, I did think that they were lovers at one time, much to my own shame."

"I thought you said you weren't jealous?"

Ingrid's eyes turned to her, while her face looked forward. "…I'm sure you've done the same thing to Zelda."

"I don't understand," Peach said, tilting her head.

"Your mother thought I was jealous of her endowments."

"What?"

"Her breasts," Ingrid said flatly.

"Well, you are pretty flat," Peach said. "Flatter than Zelda." Malon could be heard giggling again.

"You are equally endowed and equally annoying," Ingrid said, closing her eyes. "Get some sleep." Malon could still be heard giggling. "That goes for you two as well."

"Don't tell me you…" Zelda began to complain.

"Do not make me lay my hands on you, Zelda," Ingrid said in an ominously calm voice. Both Peach and Malon made stifled giggles. Ingrid smothered the flames lighting the house with her telekinesis and muttered, "Hmph…kids…"


	18. Reunion

**Reunion **

Zelda awakened to the sound of rustling downstairs. Judging from the dim rays of light poking through the windows, it was not long after sunrise. She cautiously got out of the bed and looked over the edge. Her mother was not sitting by the bookcase, as she had been last night. Zelda looked under the overhang she was on and saw the vague, but thin form of her mother wrapping herself in bandages. The darkness covered her well, but her gleaming red eyes and white hair made her visible. The only things she wore were tight black shorts, much like Impa's. She had wrapped the bandages as high as her lower ribs. Zelda hopped down as quietly as she could.

"Ingrid… Are you okay?" Zelda asked in a hushed voice.

"I'm fine," Ingrid replied. "Did I wake you?"

"Sort of," Zelda said, approaching. "You don't wear a bra, do you?"

"No. It's not necessary. Is that a problem?"

"No," Zelda smiled. "I just…nothing. Why are you wrapping bandages around yourself?"

"I see neither Sheik nor Impa ever explained our culture to you."

"…I never asked."

"They serve a dual purpose," Ingrid said as she finished wrapping around her neck. "The center of one's self is the where the soul dwells. These bandages bind the soul and keep it pure. The Shadow Folk were not always so readily accepted by the Hylians, mostly because of our dark rituals and ways. These bandages represent the purity of light that the Hylians favored."

"They represent chastity," Zelda said, seeing through her words. Ingrid paused a moment. Zelda noticed a slight, brief mark of sadness on her face. "Peach wore almost the same thing at…my wedding…"

"Yes… Also, the bandages are excellent for those moments when battle decimates the clothes we wear." Zelda giggled slightly.

"Why don't you ever laugh or smile, or even show any emotion at all?" Zelda asked. "Why do you hold back?"

"My ways are of an age that has long passed," Ingrid said, walking to a cabinet and opening it. She took out a black choker and put it around her neck. It had the Eye of Truth embroidered in blue. "They are the ancient ways that were instilled by the Fierce Deity, Oni. Oni's laws began to die around the time that this insignia was introduced by the Hylians. They did not like Oni. They considered him evil and used light magic to seal him into a mask. For ages, the mask was lost…until Link retrieved it from another world."

"Termina," Zelda whispered.

"That was another land where the Sheikah supposedly lived," Ingrid said, sitting in a chair. "Once the Eye of Truth was accepted by the Sheikah, Oni's power came under the control of the Hylians… Do you see the teardrop?"

"Yes," Zelda said, looking close. "Doesn't it represent fealty to the Royal Family?"

"It represents the sorrow of betraying the Fierce Deity," Ingrid corrected. "However, what you said became the official reasoning as ordained by the Royal Family…"

"Oh…" Zelda said, feeling a bit awkward.

"I was an outcast, even among the Sheikah," Ingrid spoke, inviting Zelda to sit with her. "It was because my parents strictly taught me the ways of Oni. 'To show the inside is to show weakness,' I was taught. Happiness invites sadness. Sadness begets anger. Anger leads to hate. And hate…leads to suffering. That is why my face has no expression."

"But you still suffer," Zelda said. "I can see it inside you."

"My parents died in battle a short time after Impa was born," Ingrid said. "I raised Impa with the help of the dwindling number of Sheikah in the village. Eventually, I was obligated to join the army myself. I enjoyed my work, as dangerous as it was. Though I disliked the Royal Family for its past actions, I was satisfied to do my duty. My respect for Hylians, however steadily dropped. Their men are chauvinistic. Their women are weak and frivolous. Their government was at senseless war with every other race in the country. But to serve for my masters…it was fulfilling. Then, I met your Father… He was polite, but foolishly idealistic. He sought to unify the races of Hyrule. Slowly, but surely, he made treaties with other races… Somehow, we fell in love. It was a foreign feeling for me. I had never loved anybody besides my parents and Impa…but it was different. We saw each other more often than I liked. We had a secret affair that was known only to the highest-ranking officials…which did little for my reputation behind the scenes. I did things that were…less than honorable with him. I disliked what I was doing. He never forced me…but he knew that I was uncomfortable with it."

"Have you ever cried before?" Zelda asked suddenly.

"When I was a baby, I sup…"

"I mean, after you accepted the ways of Oni," Zelda said.

"Thrice," Ingrid said, frowning briefly. "The first time was after…I shamed myself with your father. The second time…I was fighting the Wanderer for the final time, determined to kill her once and for all. I had grown ill for some time recently. The Wanderer made it apparent to me…that I was pregnant." Her eyes narrowed in bitterness.

"And the last time?" Zelda said, growing somewhat scared.

"After eighteen hours of labor," Ingrid said as her eyes softened. "You were born." She closed her eyes. Zelda could see that she was crying on the inside, despite her outward appearance.

"You regretted having me," Zelda said sadly. "I ruined your life."

"No," Ingrid said, opening her eyes while maintaining her monotone composure. "I was sad that I would not be able to see you grow up. Your aunt was the one who hated you."

"Impa?" Zelda said, shocked.

"She wanted to kill both you and your father to avenge me. But as I lay dying, I made her promise to care for you. As you know, she became your mother-figure. She even nursed you…"

"Did you?" Zelda asked shyly.

Ingrid sighed with a note of annoyance. "No…I could not…at least, not sufficiently. As you can see, I do not have a fertile figure. You are somewhat lucky to have the blood of the Royal Family within you."

"Everyone makes fun of me behind my back for being…like this," Zelda said. "Especially Peach."

"She is just like her mother," Ingrid said. "Think of yourself as a woman who needs no endowments. We may be beanpoles…but they are cows." Zelda giggled.

There was a soft knock at the door and Nabooru stepped in. "They're ready," she whispered to Ingrid.

"Good," Ingrid said, taking a cloth from nearby. She used it as a headwrap, making her look more casual. She took her cloak and wrapped it around her waist, using it as a long skirt. She took Zelda's hand and led her outside with Nabooru.

"What is it?" Zelda asked.

"There are some people you might want to see," Nabooru said, as they went to the graveyard. They stopped immediately in front of the large gravestone just outside the fence. Nabooru pressed her palms together and closed her eyes. Ingrid placed two fingers against her forehead and closed her eyes as well.

"What are you…?"

"Souls…come unto me," Nabooru spoke, glowing orange.

"Wretched spirits of the forsaken, rise from the depths of Hades," Ingrid spoke, somehow gaining a black aura. Zelda watched as the wispy forms of souls flew out of the sky and into Nabooru. The Gerudo sighed, and the spirits flew out and curled around Ingrid. "Can you fix her?"

"Yes," Nabooru said. One of the souls moved away from Ingrid and became a dark purple. It took the ghostly form of the original Impa.

"Impa?" Zelda gasped.

_"Hello, Zelda, Ingrid,"_ Impa nodded with her normal countenance intact.

"The nature of this meeting is rather ironic, isn't it?" Ingrid stated.

_"That it is,"_ Impa said, smiling slightly. _"I am glad that you spared Zelda's life."_

"How did you do that, anyway?" Nabooru asked.

_"Ing may seem calm and collected,"_ Impa said, folding her arms. _"But she is extremely stubborn. I remember all those times she insisted on cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner."_

"Impa…" Ingrid said.

_"Sorry… Zelda, are you okay?"_

"Yes, I'm fine," Zelda said, getting teary-eyed. "I just…missed you so much."

_"I know… I am sorry you saw that side of me. Please, forgive me for all the pain I've caused you."_

"It's not your fault," Zelda said. "I should have known better and…"

_"No…it was a part of me,"_ Impa said somberly. _"I will be watching you from the other side…where I can no longer harm you."_ She faded.

"Impa!" Zelda cried.

"Don't worry," Nabooru said optimistically. "She'll be alive once we see this all through." Another soul moved away from Ingrid and turned sapphire. Ruto appeared, looking completely normal now, if a bit unhappy.

_"Hey, Zelda,"_ Ruto said, forcing a smile.

"Ruto…" Zelda said nervously. "I'm sorry for…"

_"Don't worry about it,"_ Ruto said. _"I could see clearly once I was no more…And Sheik explained things to me… I'm kind of glad he did that…otherwise…I might have done something I would regret even more. You see, Zelda… when we went crazy, we only had two things on our mind: Get revenge on you and protect the Triforce. But if you think about it, we can't protect something that we don't have access to. We really did go mad…but it's worse that we influenced our own people… My mother should be able to set the Zoras straight though… Take care."_

"Wait, I have a question!"

_"Hmm?"_

"You said that you would never force Link to break a promise… There's more to that sentence than there is at face value. What were did you mean?"

Ruto smiled sadly. _"I'll give you a hint… I'm not the one Link is in love with…"_ Then, she faded away as well. The next spirit turned red and took the form of Darunia.

_"I've made a fool of myself,"_ he said. _"Don't bother apologizing… I'm with my son, now. He was the first to tell me that it wasn't you."_

"How did he know?"

_"He said she could sing beautifully,"_ he smirked.

"Uhhh-huh," Zelda said, somewhat embarrassed as Nabooru chuckled.

_"Plus, she didn't think twice about using her powers to toss Gorons about,"_ Darunia said, becoming serious again. _"Since you're my Sworn Brother's daughter, I'm counting on you to get back at that witch for me. You can do it!"_ He faded away.

"She sounds quite powerful," Zelda commented as another spirit moved away from Ingrid and turned green. It became Saria, surprisingly in her adult form. "Saria? Why are you…?"

_"I wasn't lying when I said I lost my innocence,"_ Saria said. _"And unfortunately, you have too. If I had still been alive and under the influence of that curse, I probably would have been glad to hear it…but I'm just really guilty right now."_

"Of all the Sages, you've suffered the most," Zelda said sympathetically. "I can hardly blame you…"

_"But you should,"_ Saria said. _"I was jealous when Link visited you or the others instead of me. I don't even know where I stand with him…Am I just a surrogate mother? A sister-figure? Or something else? I'm not even sure how I feel about him myself… I know I love him…but I don't know in what way…"_

"When we revive you, you'll be sure to gain his attention more."

_"Maybe…"_ Saria said unsurely. _"Thanks, Zelda. You're a good person. And so is Peach…I just hope we can _be_ friends from now on."_

"Sure," Zelda said. "…You seem closer to Link than I'll ever be…at least, with the real one."

_"If you're asking who I think he likes most, I don't know… Ruto is the only one who knows that…"_ Then, she smiled mischievously. _"I'll tell you what…When this is all over, we'll surround him and ask him ourselves."_

"Sounds good,"Zelda agreed, smiling.

_"Save him, Zelda,"_ Saria said as she faded away.

"It is done," Ingrid said.

"What about Rauru?" Zelda asked. "Didn't Impa kill him?"

"Yes," Ingrid nodded. "He is beyond my reach, however."

"Same here," Nabooru said. "I can't even go to the Chamber of Sages for some reason. It's as if it's being blocked off."

"We have more immediate concerns anyway," Ingrid said, walking back to the village. "Come along and I'll prepare breakfast."

* * *

Zelda, Malon, and Peach sat at the table waiting for the meal Ingrid had prepared. Apparently, Ingrid truly enjoyed cooking, but she preferred to keep the meal secret until it was ready. Because of this, she cooked inside another house. The door finally opened and she walked through. A pot of stew and a covered plate floated in after her and were set on the table.

"Eat your fill," Ingrid said with the slightest of smiles. The lid and cover were lifted and the diners were somewhat surprised by what they found. The plate had a roasted bird of some sort and the pot had a strangely colored liquid with various chunks of meat and vegetable floating inside. The stew seemed to be glowing a color that was a mix between brown, green, yellow, and purple.

"What is this, anyway?" Malon said, as she ladled some stew into her bowl.

"My own personal concoction," Ingrid said. "I'm always trying something new."

"And the bird?" Zelda asked, cutting off a piece.

"Roasted Guay."

"…Guay," Zelda repeated, looking down at the cut of meat. "Those birds that try to skewer you in Lake Hylia."

"Taste before you judge," Ingrid said. Each of them tasted and Ingrid awaited their judgment. "Well?"

"…It's…good," Zelda said uneasily.

"Wha?" Malon said incredulously, when Zelda elbowed her. "Oh! Yeah…this is pretty good."

"Really?" Ingrid said with a note of surprise. "Do you like it, Peach?" Peach was chewing slowly and simply nodded. "Well, then try the stew," Ingrid said, having an increasingly hard time hiding her smile.

"Okay," Zelda said, glancing at Malon. They sipped the stew and held back a shudder. Malon was forcing her cringe into a smile.

"This…is…great!" she said.

"Yes…excellent," Zelda gulped, feeling her stomach turn.

"It isn't too spicy?" Ingrid asked.

"Just right!" Malon said.

"Or too sweet?"

"No…it's…fine," Zelda said.

"Well, eat up," Ingrid said, failing to hide her smile at all.

Malon glanced at Zelda woefully. Zelda responded, "Here, Malon. Let me get you another bowlful." Zelda reached for the ladle and "accidentally" knocked over both Malon's and her own bowls, spilling the stew on themselves. "Oops…"

"Oh, well," Malon said. "We'll just have to change."

"Yes, it would be impolite to eat in such messy clothing," Zelda said, as they both rose up and left the room.

"How about you, Peach?" Ingrid said, looking to her. She had never swallowed the small bit of Guay, instead spitting it into her bowl of stew while Ingrid was not looking. With the spotlight on her she tasted the soup.

"Mmm," Peach smiled. Then her stomach rumbled loudly. "Ooh…" she groaned slumping over. Then, she covered her mouth and ran out.

Ingrid's smile disappeared and her face became expressionless again. She thought to herself, "…Well, that went better than expected." Then, she dipped a piece of Guay into the stew and tasted it herself. Her stomach growled immediately. "Too spicy _and_ too sweet…"

* * *

After Peach had gone through some unpleasant bodily functions, she insisted on making breakfast. She prepared a meal in five minutes and everyone was enjoying it greatly.

"Wow, Peach!" Malon exclaimed. "You can really cook!"

"I wish I had that sort of cooking skill," Zelda said, impressed.

"Exactly how did you do that?" Ingrid asked blankly.

"Just follow a recipe," Peach said humbly. "Only master chefs can hope to make their own creations on the fly… Plus, they taste their food before they serve it."

"What did you do with that stuff anyway?" Malon asked.

"I dumped it into the Royal Tomb," Ingrid said.

"You what!" Zelda exclaimed. "That's sacred ground!"

"Yes, but you've obviously never been down there," Ingrid answered. "The shadow lurkers will probably eat it themselves."

"Shadow lurkers?"

"ReDeads."

"I thought those were evil zombies…"

"Only the ones Ganondorf set loose in Hyrule Castle Town," Ingrid said. "They are pure magic. The ones in the temples and most of those scattered about the land are actual zombies, but not evil. The ones around here are Sheikah. Their job is to guard the dead here."

"What makes a Sheikah become a ReDead?"

"Usually a spell," Ingrid said. "…Or being killed by a ReDead. You'd be quite surprised about the histories behind many of the so-called 'monsters' of Hyrule. The Gibdos, for instance, tend to vary between Hylians, Sheikah, and Gerudo. The Armos statues are of Goron craftsmanship. Iron Knuckles are all created by ancient Gerudo."

"What about Like-likes?" Malon asked.

"World leaders and shield eaters have many likes alike," Ingrid replied. "…Or so the saying goes."

"What does it mean?"

"It may just be a political statement," Zelda said.

"Or that Like-likes used to be ancient kings," Ingrid said.

"This is actually rather interesting," Zelda smiled. "How do you know so much about monsters?"

"I had to fight many creatures in my travels and campaigns," she replied.

"Okay, then here are some hard ones," Zelda said. "Explain the origins of Stalchildren, Skull Kids, and Stalfos."

"Stalchildren and Stalfos…Ancient servants of a King…I can't recall the name very well," she said, rubbing her chin. "It was the one the Sheikah served in another world…long ago. The kingdom of…Ikana…I think. And the Skull Kids are just the results of cursed children…perhaps from getting lost in the Lost Woods without a fairy. I hear adults turn into Stalfos, though."

"Did the Sheikah ever simply keep to themselves?" Zelda asked.

"To put it bluntly, Sheikah tend not to fornicate as much as other races," Ingrid said. "Fewer illegitimates as well as a lower population in general puts us at a disadvantage in some ways."

"Where are the Sheikah anyway?" Malon asked. "They didn't all die in the wars…did they?"

"No…They're around… They served Ikana around the same time they served Hyrule. They've probably just moved beyond this country."

"Beamos?" Zelda asked.

"Gerudo _and_ Goron," Ingrid said.

"Peach, you're being awfully quiet," Malon said.

"Don't mind me," she smiled. "I don't really know what you're talking about anyway…"

"Well, some of the beings from your land have appeared here," Zelda said. "Like the Shamans."

"Or the 8-bits Club members," Malon said, surprising them. "What? Two months, remember?"

"The 8-bits…" Ingrid said. "That name sounds familiar. I believe they had something to do with rivals of the Sheikah…Garo Robes…Yes, both the 8-bits and the Sheikah were constantly at odds with the Garo, among others."

"You're very well read in bestiaries, aren't you?" Zelda said, impressed once again. "I wish I had known you earlier so I could know as much as you."

"Thank you, Zelda," Ingrid said, finishing her meal and rising. As she picked up her black cloak, she spoke, "I will be outside once you are ready to leave. Remember to dress or pack warmly for our destination. This shouldn't be too hard."


	19. Ice and Vice

**Ice and Vice**

The group rode their horses as far up Zora's River as they could go. After that, they would have to walk the rest of the way. Though Zelda had suggested simply using a warp in Lake Hylia, Ingrid had objected to the idea of showing up in Zora's Domain that way.

Their path was relatively straightforward, if a bit time consuming. There were so many hills, ledges, and brooks to pass. The resistant wildlife proved more of an annoyance than a threat. Thanks to Ingrid's specialty, there were many dead Tektites and Octoroks floating in the water. The Zora guards that had been surveying the area were dispatched in a less severe manner. Ingrid had simply slammed them into the rock walls to knock them unconscious, though one would not know the difference since their bodies were also floating in the water motionlessly. In the end, they made it to the waterfall by nightfall.

"What's the plan once we enter?" Zelda asked.

"Go to Zora Fountain," Ingrid said. "I'll take care of the rest. Just follow me." It was a simple task of Zelda playing the song of the Royal Family and they hopped through.

"Hylian intruders!" one guard called. "It's Zelda!" All of the citizens dived underwater while the entire military force of the Zora race marched toward them. Most were armed with spears. A few had metal blades attached to wristbands, since there apparently were no Warrior-type Zoras.

"Now what?" Malon asked worriedly.

"Just follow me," Ingrid said, walking forward casually.

"It's Hilda the Reaper!" one Zora called. A noticeable portion of the force fled into the water.

"Charge!" the leader ordered. As the military charged forth, Ingrid made a sweep of her hand. They were pushed into the water, as she continued to walk forward. When some of the Zoras farther back began throwing their spears, she simply stopped the spears and let them fall to the ground harmlessly. Zelda, Peach, and Malon all glanced at one another and carefully followed her. They moved up the spiraling stairs and reached the throne room. The Royal Guards were easily dispatched and the group moved through the empty room. It was easy for them to pass into Zora Fountain.

"That was the easy part," Ingrid said, stepping into the deep part of the water, where Jabu-Jabu used to be.

"There aren't anymore Zora's around here, are there?" Malon asked, looking around.

"No, they're gone," Zelda said. Once they got into the water, it became obvious that Peach was the best swimmer. She was even passing Ingrid. Meanwhile, Malon held onto Zelda, not being able to swim.

"Tell me," Ingrid said before she got to far ahead. "How is it that you are such a proficient swimmer?"

"My friend Mario throws the best parties," she smiled back at her. Eventually, they were right below the ledge to the Ice Cavern. "How do we get up there?"

"Hmm…"

"You know, Zel," Malon said, "we should go swimming more often. It's kind of fun."

"You're not actually swimming…" Zelda muttered.

"Zelda," Ingrid said. "…This is where Lord Jabu-Jabu once dwelled, correct?"

"Yes," Zelda answered. "Why?"

"Well, something that large couldn't just disappear like that after dying," Ingrid said. "I can sense his lingering soul in this area…Maybe…"

"What?" Zelda said. "I don't think reviving him would be such a good idea…As things go, he'd probably just eat us…"

"I can do more than just kill," Ingrid said, floating on her back and closing her eyes. "Lord Jabu-Jabu, I summon you from the depths. Rise from your grave in living death!" Bubbles began to appear near the center of the fountain. Suddenly, the skeletal remains of Jabu-Jabu rose to the surface. It was actually quite frightening, since there was still some rotting flesh giving off a miasma.

"This doesn't seem ethical," Zelda noted.

"Are you sure you don't want me to just bring him back to life?" Malon asked.

"That won't be necessary," Ingrid said, as the beast floated toward them. It sank beneath the surface and swam under them. It rose up, lifting them high enough to step onto the cliff of the cave.

"How did you do that?" Malon asked, as Zelda let her down.

"I command all manner of death," Ingrid answered. "Including those that are dead."

"That sounds useful, if still unethical…" Zelda said.

"I used it to fend off those ReDeads you and Peach encountered in Hyrule Castle Town," Ingrid said, stepping into the cavern.

* * *

It was rather amazing how the air became immediately colder upon entering. Everyone but Ingrid was shivering already. The walls were covered in ice and snow. There were even a few snowflakes gently falling. The atmosphere was gentle, if a bit stifled.

"Be wary of your surroundings," Ingrid warned. "This is sacred ground." She smashed away icicles with her scythe. A few fell from the ceiling, but she deflected them with her telekinesis.

"How could they build something like this?" Zelda asked. "I thought Zoras were vulnerable to cold."

"That is exactly why it is a gravesite."

A Freezard rose out of the ground beside her. She sliced the top off with her scythe, but it merely blew a freezing wind. Ingrid was frozen in a block of ice.

"Oh no!" Peach cried.

"I'll take care of it," Zelda said, using a fire spell to melt the ice monster. Just as she was about to free Ingrid, her mother broke free of the ice and was shivering.

"Are you okay?" Malon asked.

"Let's move on," Ingrid said, giving off steam as she stopped shivering. They came to a small doorway that led to a larger room. There was a switchblade spinning in a circle across the ice. There were three doors scattered about the frosty room.

"That's the right way." Zelda pointed to the door that wasn't locked.

"Actually, that's the correct way." Ingrid was pointing into a small pool of water. She stopped the switchblade and disassembled it in midair, letting it fall to pieces.

"Freezing water…Are you serious?"

Ingrid walked into the water and dived down below. A moment passed and she resurfaced. "Hurry along, now."

"Well," Peach sighed. "It's not the first time I've been in freezing water." She jumped in and dived down.

"Hold onto me, okay?" Zelda said. Malon nodded and grabbed on. Once they were all underwater, they swam down an icy path and found a door sealed by iron bars. Ingrid used her telekinesis to lift them and swam through the ice door. The others followed her through and they walked out of the water in a strange room. It seemed as if they were standing on a snowy platform in the middle of a black abyss. Despite the black walls, they were full of ice sparkles and crystals. It was easy to tell that this was a special room.

"This is it," Ingrid said, wringing the excess water out of her hair. "The tomb of Queen Rita Zora." As if in response to her statement, the ghostly image of a Zora appeared. She looked very similar to Ruto, but she was somewhat thinner. She wore a white, semi-transparent silk tank top and skirt.

_"Hello, Ing_,_"_ she spoke. _"I see you took the shortcut."_

"Greetings, Rita," Ingrid said. "Allow me to introduce my daughter Zelda and her friends Malon and Peach."

_"All daughters of people I know…"_

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Peach curtsied, shivering along with Malon and Zelda.

"Ready to be revived?" Malon asked.

"Perhaps I should leave…" Zelda said uncomfortably.

_"Do not despair, princess,"_ Rita said. _"I am well-briefed on everything that has happened to you. Though I am saddened by my daughter's end, I do not hold it against you. However, upon revival, I may use that as an excuse…"_

"It didn't affect Malon," Zelda said.

"But it did affect me," Ingrid said.

_"That is likely because Peach revived Malon. In doing so, she also cleansed her soul. But when Malon revived you, your soul was not purified. Peach, you must heal me if I should show any aggression."_

"I understand," Peach said.

Malon focused her energy and the room was filled with every color of the rainbow. Rita became solid. She glared at Zelda with her icy blue eyes. Just as Peach began her healing spell, Rita disappeared into the snow-covered floor.

"This isn't good…" Zelda said, growing uneasy. Suddenly, a sharp icicle jutted out in front of her. They surrounded her until she was blocked in. Ingrid broke away the icicles and moved Zelda out of the way just as a large one jutted out from where she had been.

"Show yourself, Rita."

"You don't know what it's like to see your daughter die in such a wretched manner!" Rita echoed throughout the room.

"I suppose that time Saria slew her doesn't count?" Ingrid replied.

"No matter! I will kill her again!"

"What should we do?" Malon said, taking out her bow and arrow.

"Zelda, come here," Ingrid said. "This will only hurt a bit."

"What are you planning?" Zelda asked. The black mist overtook her and she fell dead.

"What are you doing!" Malon cried.

"Why did you do that?" Peach said, just as surprised.

"How could you do that to your own daughter?" Rita asked, rising out of the snow in shock.

"Stealing your thunder, I suppose," Ingrid said, turning to her.

"At least my daughter is avenged…" Rita sighed, becoming teary-eyed. "Though…I didn't expect that. It's such a hollow victory."

_"Peach, heal Rita now,"_ Ingrid spoke via telekinesis as Malon aimed her weapon at her.

"Why did you do that!" Malon cried. "You're still insane, aren't you?" Peach silently healed Rita.

"Aaaah!" Rita fell to her knees and writhed with pain. She lay on the ground and smiled, "Thank you…"

"Now, one of you," Ingrid said, pointing toward Zelda. Malon frowned at her and revived Zelda. Before Zelda could say a word, Malon grasped her in a hug.

"Did you just kill me!" Zelda exclaimed, despite Malon nuzzling her.

"A diversionary tactic," Ingrid said. "Now, let's be off before we freeze to death."

"A poor choice of words," Rita sighed.

"That's no reason to just take someone's life away!" Malon yelled angrily.

"I agree," Peach said, also upset. "No one has the right to take a life."

"Tell that to your mother," Ingrid said, hopping back down into water. Peach looked as if she had been punched in the stomach.

"Oh, don't be too upset," Rita said, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Ingrid is just…professional. It's not her fault if she's a bit rigid sometimes."

"Yeah, well…" Malon pouted. "Someone needs to pull the stick out…" She silenced herself when Ingrid climbed back out of the water.

"The door is no longer there," she said, eyeing her surroundings carefully.

"Let's be careful," Rita advised. "I remember something coming here several months ago… I haven't noticed it since then, but…"

"First of all," Zelda said, turning toward the solid wall of ice, "how do we get out of this room?" Ingrid stepped toward the ice wall and pressed her hand against it.

"How sturdy is this cavern?"

"You should be able to take down an entire wall without worry," Rita answered. "But that won't be necessary… I think I can get us out." She stepped toward the wall and it shattered like glass. They hopped onto the slippery floor of the next room. There was a dark, misty crevice along the perimeter of the room.

"Something isn't right…" Malon said, looking around. "I sense something here…" A block of ice rose out of the tiled, icy floor, startling them.

"Don't worry," Rita giggled. "This is just part of the puzzle in this room."

"Guess again," Ingrid said, readying her scythe as the block was raised from beneath by a short, stocky, teal-shelled creature. It did not seem nearly large enough to lift something that big, but it held the block above itself effortlessly.

"What is that?" Rita asked.

"It looks a great deal like something from your world, Peach," Zelda said cautiously.

Peach looked at the creature carefully. It stood on two yellowish-orange legs, but it was too small to be a Koopa since it did not seem to have a neck and it was almost completely under the shell. It's eyes were white and empty, unlike anything she had seen from her world. But she vaguely recognized the form of the creature. "It's a Buzzy…no, wait…it's a…"

"BUSTER BEETLE!" the small-voiced creature yelled, effortlessly tossing the block at the group. They all dived away and shielded themselves as the block dangerously burst into pieces.

"They aren't supposed to be able to do all that…" Peach said worriedly.

"He's a strong one," Rita said, causing an icicle from the ceiling to fall toward it.

"TAKE THIS!" it said, catching the icicle and flinging it at her. Ingrid emitted a jet of flame from her hand and the icicle-turned-water splashed onto Rita harmlessly. Ingrid then blasted her black mist onto the Buster Beetle. It died instantly.

"That's certainly a handy ability," Zelda sighed. There was a crash and the group was instantly surrounded by Buster Beetles who popped out of the floor, carrying the large ice blocks.

"BUSTER!" they yelled simultaneously as they threw the projectiles. A shield of ice came up over the group to block the blocks. Black mist filtered through and spread through the entire room. Once the ice shield crumbled away, the group of women were the only ones still alive.

"I'd suggest you leave," Ingrid said, closing her eyes.

"What about you?" Peach asked.

"I will make use of the vanquished," she answered. "Feel free to kill anything you happen to encounter, but try to leave its body intact."

"Okay!" Zelda said, taking Malon and Peach by their hands and running out with Rita. They ran through a short hallway and reached another large chamber. There were several pillars scattered around the room as well as Freezards sliding around the floor. The women hopped across the pillars to bypass the Freezards and hopped down to moved through the next tunnel. There was a puff of smoke and a trio of Shamans stood in their way.

"Not you again," Zelda sneered. Before she could do anything, Peach ran at the middle Shaman and slapped him repeatedly. He made a hasty teleportation out of the cavern, while the other two backed away. "Um, Peach?"

"I've fought these guys before," Peach frowned, using her Mute spell on one of them. "Take them down quickly or they'll do terrible damage."

"Diamond Saw!" the other one called out. Two frosty buzzsaws materialized and flew at them, but Rita stopped them in midair and sent them back. The Shaman burst into stardust as soon as they hit him.

"I can't win this!" the remaining Shaman said, but was frozen solid by Rita's power.

"Leave him," Zelda said, continuing to run. They reached the chamber of the first room and found a few large Spinies crawling around. They were obviously mutants since their shells were black and their spikes seemed to be made of some sort of crystal. There were even a few crawling along the ceiling.

"This is getting scary," Malon said. "They weren't here before…"

"They were just hiding," Zelda said. "Look." There were a few Buster Beetles peeking up out of the ground from underneath grounded icicle formations.

"How will we get past all of that?" Malon asked fearfully.

"Let's see," Rita said. The cavern rumbled and ice spikes jutted up all around the room. Unfortunately, the hard-shelled creatures were only disheveled by the tremors and formations. Then, she attempted to freeze them with an icy wind. The creatures were only immobile for a few seconds before moving again in a semi-frozen state. "Well, I'm fresh out of ideas."

"I don't think we'll have to worry about it," Peach said as she saw a black fog come into the room from the other side. The creatures keeled over as expected and the group passed through easily. They met Ingrid at the entrance to the cavern.

"How did you get here?" Rita asked.

"Them," Ingrid said, pointing to the small army of undead Buster Beetles inside a large hole behind her. "They'll do a good job of guarding this ground."

* * *

After they returned to Zora's Domain, Rita explained everything to her people. Though many of them were still sore about what happened to Ruto and the others, they laid down their weapons for the time being, especially since Malon revived Lord Jabu-Jabu Everyone was welcomed to stay, but they decided to return to Lon Lon Ranch since it would be awkward to stay there. Rita stayed in Zora's Domain to sort other things out.

Once they returned to Lon Lon Ranch via Farore's Wind, they immediately got ready for bed. Mother Malon had already made sleeping arrangements. Malon and Zelda returned to the secret room, while Ingrid and Peach were free to sleep pretty much wherever they wanted to. They both decided to stay in the barn, since they were still a little chilled from the Ice Cavern. Peach sat in one corner full of hay, while Ingrid sat across from her.

"So what do you think about Malon?" Peach asked without warning.

"What about her?" Ingrid replied, keeping her eyes closed.

"Don't you think she's a nice person?"

"I suppose."

"Would you have anyone better for a daughter-in-law?"

"I don't have a son, Peach."

"I'm talking about her being with Zelda."

"What about it?"

"Don't you think they make a nice couple?"

"I never knew that they were one."

"Well, they definitely seem to be. Mother Malon says so."

"What do _they_ say?"

"Zelda says they definitely aren't," Peach said uneasily. "And Malon isn't saying anything either way."

"So you have one gossip, one mute, and one from the horse's mouth…"

"Well, I saw them myself…I was wondering what they were doing and I took a peek…"

"Of course…"

"Is it really normal for really good friends to kiss each other on the mouth?"

"Sometimes."

"So, do you think they're a couple?"

"I don't know."

"But they weren't wearing any clothing…"

"I say I don't know because I don't know. To rely on another is to be weak…To rely on someone else's unsubstantiated words is to be a gossip…and gossips are useless. I think killing my daughter was enough drama for one lifetime."

"Would you mind if they were?" Peach asked.

"No."

"Good."

"Is there a point to your rambling?" Ingrid asked, opening her eyes.

"I just wanted to know what you think about them," Peach said, closing her eyes. "Goodnight."

As Ingrid sat there, inadvertently going over everything she had said in her head, she became frustrated with her own heightened interest. She muttered to herself, "Damn kids…"

* * *

It was the middle of the night. A shadowy figured wisped from the shade of the barn to the house. Her white hair shined in the moonlight. She quietly slipped through the door. To her surprise, Ingrid saw Talon sleeping amongst the Cuccos. She saw the door atop the stairs to her right and silently hopped up there. She slipped into the dark bedroom and saw Mother Malon sleeping. Using telekinesis, she lifted her out of the bed and opened her eyes. When she still did not awaken, Ingrid lifted the water out of a glass pitcher on the table. She passed the bubble of water over the woman's face and she awakened immediately.

"Huh! What!" she snorted. "Oh…It's you. What's the meaning of this?"

"We need to talk," Ingrid said, lowering her.

"It's awfully late…but then, it must be important if you're going through all this."

"It's actually not very important at all," Ingrid said. "But the Wanderer's daughter planted a rather potent interest within me. She would not cease to talk about it. It's about our daughters and their…unique relationship."

"Oh, so you know?" she smiled. "It's really quite sweet. They've been together for…"

"Exactly what is the nature of their relationship?"

"Is something wrong?"

"Zelda does not seem to appreciate the label you and Peach have been giving her."

"It's understandable for her to be in denial when you remember her social status…"

"Regardless of whether or not she is in denial, I think it would be best to cease molesting her about the issue."

"But it is something to be nurtured," Mother Malon reasoned. "She'll admit it to herself with proper support. And it's her family that she needs support from."

"Her family is dead," Ingrid said bluntly. "And neither of us truly count as family, no matter how much you would like to be her surrogate mother."

"I see her as a daughter-in-law," Mother Malon said. "I don't claim to be anything more."

"What makes you so sure that they have a sexual relationship?"

Mother Malon became silent and seemed to be uncomfortable. "…Maybe we should talk about this later…"

"I'd suggest that you cooperate, Malon."

"…I…can't," Mother Malon said, turning her back on her. Ingrid stepped closer and held her cheeks, forcing her to look into her eyes, which seemed to shine in the darkness.

"Remember, Malon…I am your Queen," Ingrid spoke hypnotically in both her voice and telepathy, giving her words a strange echo. "You do what I say in life _and _death… Only in life do you have any free will. Should I see fit, you will be mine to control in the afterlife."

"…My Queen…" Mother Malon said blankly. "…Please, no…" Ingrid released her and stepped back.

"…Very well," Ingrid sighed. "But from this point on, you are to keep your comments on their relationship to yourself."

Mother Malon shook off the hypnotic state and stuttered, "B-But…"

"I would not care even if they were to mount each other in broad daylight," Ingrid said, grabbing her chin lightly. "Not even if they were to have a wedding ceremony the next day. Not even if the Goddesses themselves were to decree their spiritual union. Until Zelda admits something, _if_ there is something to admit, you are to leave her be. Is that clear?"

"Yes, my Queen," she replied blankly once again. Ingrid released her and stepped back. "You know I hate it when you do that…"

"If it's the only way to get through to you…" Ingrid said, sitting in the corner. "I hope you don't mind me sleeping here. The barn smells and I don't need the little Wanderer planting anymore thoughts in my mind."

"You can sleep with me if you want," she offered.

"That seems somewhat inappropriate," Ingrid stated.

"Just friends, remember?" Mother Malon smirked. "Our daughters, who are just friends, did it too."

"You really should cut down on using your own herbs."

"Oh, come on," Mother Malon said, pulling her into bed. "It's not as if we're going to do anything. You just look like you could use a good sleep."

"All right," Ingrid sighed. "Just cease the innuendos."

"Do you want to be on top or should I?"

"Damn cows…" Ingrid thought to herself.


	20. Earth and Wind

**Earth and Wind**

Zelda was irritably awakened by something poking her in her side. She grunted and readjusted herself on Malon as the two lay in the hay. There was another slightly harder poke, causing her to murmur, "…Not now, Malon…"

"…Go back to sleep," she heard Malon mutter in the same half-sleep voice. "Ow… Cut it out…"

Zelda felt a hard poke against her side and she opened one eye and found her mother standing there in front of them, holding her scythe. "What do you want?"

"Huh?" Malon groaned, opening her eyes groggily. When she saw Ingrid, she was startled and hid behind Zelda with a blanket over the both of them. "Hey! Haven't you ever heard of privacy?"

"It's time for you to wake up," Ingrid said, butting the handle into the ground. "There is another Sage to be tended to."

"Can't it wait a few minutes?" Zelda muttered, sinking back under the blanket.

"Actually, I only need little Malon," Ingrid spoke. "Peach is already standing by."

Zelda sighed and said, "All right, I'm coming."

"Now, hurry up and leave!" Malon shouted, blushing.

"You don't have anything I haven't seen before," Ingrid said, teleporting out.

* * *

Once they arrived at Zora's Domain via the warp in Lake Hylia, they set off to the throne room to see Rita. They found her waiting at the top of the stairway. She looked a bit worried.

"I'm glad you came," Rita nodded. "…But why did you bring Zelda?" Malon took Zelda's hand. "Oh, I see. You two are like sisters, aren't you?"

"Yes," Zelda smiled. "I'm happy to hear you recognize that. Everyone else has been making ridiculous assertions."

"It's something that's become more and more common among Zoras," Rita spoke amiably. "Especially for the Delphi."

"Delphi?" Zelda asked.

"It's one of the types of Zora," Ingrid said.

"I gave Ingrid a short lesson on Zoras years ago," Rita smiled. "I had asked her why Hylians insist on wearing clothing and I…"

"I don't think we have time," Ingrid interrupted.

"Oh, pish-posh," Rita said dismissively. "Would any of you care for something to eat? We have fresh fish."

"A little too fresh…" Zelda said, watching one swim by.

"No thank you, your majesty," Malon bowed.

"Would you like me to give a brief explanation of our people?" Rita asked. Ingrid leaned on her scythe boredly, while Zelda looked a bit hesitant.

"I'd love to hear about Zoras," Malon said, sitting in place. "I've never met any before this mess started."

"I'd like to hear about them too," Peach agreed, also sitting.

"If that's what you want," Zelda said, sitting against Malon.

"Well," Rita said, sitting in the shallow pool of water. "Let's start with the Delphi, the most common type of Zora. They're the ones you see around here. They vary a bit occasionally, but if they have a dolphin-like tailfin coming out of their head, then they are Delphic. They represent the Zora race very well because they're so physically fit and charming. We've actually gotten a few love letters from Hylians. At least, that's how it was after the war ended anyway."

"What kind of Zora are you?" Malon asked.

"I'm of the Manta," Rita smiled, flattering herself. "Mantas are almost always female and they're always the most beautiful. It's not unusual for us to also have the best magical potential. The downside is that we aren't as strong or fast as the Delphi, but that's okay."

"I haven't seen any other Manta," Peach said.

"We're a bit rare. Sometimes, a Zora community will only have one Manta per generation. That is why Ruto and I are the only Manta here."

"What about your husband?" Zelda asked.

"Oh, him," Rita giggled girlishly. "He's what we call a Gordo…"

"That's a derogatory term," Ingrid added.

"The proper term is Imperator," Rita said in a mock-formal voice. "My husband is an extreme example of their kind. I don't do a very good job of saying it inoffensively, so Ingrid, if you wouldn't mind…"

"Imperators are the leaders of Zoras," Ingrid explained. "They tend to be only slightly less rare than Mantas, but that is because of their physical uselessness. They are slow, weak, and have a natural tendency to be obese. They have no physically redeeming qualities, but they are masterminds of the race."

"Very good," Rita said, clapping. "Do you know what the last race is?"

"Warrior," Ingrid said.

"Link said…" both Malon and Zelda began simultaneously.

"Go ahead," Zelda said humbly.

"…Link said the Warrior Zoras are the rarest kind. They have retractable fin blades, an electric shield, boomerang fins, and martial arts skills. Only one is born in an age because they're so powerful."

"Link must be that boy who came to the cavern to retrieve the Iron Boots…" Rita said thoughtfully. "He seemed to know the layout of the site very well."

"He was there before," Zelda said.

"In another time," Malon added.

"That sounds interesting," Rita said.

"Enough idle chatting," Ingrid said. "I know where one of the remaining Sages is. You know the other."

"The forest," Rita said simply.

"That can't be right. That's where the dead Sage is."

"I don't know whether she's alive or not, but she's in the forest."

"The forest…" Zelda spoke quietly.

"Don't worry," Malon said, holding her close and kissing her forehead. "We'll be there for you."

"Yeah," Peach smiled, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm afraid I won't," Ingrid said.

"Why not?" Malon asked.

"We have other matters to attend to," Rita said. "You see, Ingrid, Nabooru, and I need to go to the Gorons to explain things. As leaders, we should be able to convince them about our current situation."

"War is coming to Hyrule," Ingrid said. "The enemy has become more daring as of late. The events at Kakariko only bought them more time to organize. They were able to send that giant to the Desert Colossus. They were able to effectively frame Zelda and Peach throughout this journey. It is only a matter of time before they make a substantial move."

"Does Ganon have anything to do with it?" Zelda asked.

"I'm sure he does," Ingrid said. "Unfortunately, it will be up to you and Peach to face him alone."

"But you'd be so effective…"

"Rest assured, I would prefer to destroy Ganondorf myself, but I've sensed him dabbling in the services of the dead and damned… His magic is strong enough to wrestle the evil spirits from my grasp and even create his own. I can only hope that the slain armies of Hyrule's past will be able to fight against his monstrous forces. It is for this reason that you must hurry and awaken the final Sages. Hopefully, they are both in the forest."

* * *

Zelda, Malon, and Peach warped to the Forest Temple and made their way to Kokiri Forest. The entire forest was still eerily quiet. It was not long before they began seeing Poe lanterns lying about. Fortunately, it was not difficult to simply move around them and reach the village. Once they had reached the main area of the village, a Kokiri girl ran up to them.

"Is your name Zelda?" she asked.

"Yes…" Zelda answered cautiously. "How did you know?"

"Fado told me to have you meet her if you came back," she replied. "She's staying in Saria's house. It's the stumpy one, right there."

"I see…" Zelda said uneasily. Both Malon and Peach took her hands and they walked into Saria's house. Fado was sleeping peacefully in Saria's bed. All of the curtains were closed, so the room was very dark except for a few streaks of light. Zelda walked to Fado and gently shook her to awaken her.

"…Oh," Fado said sleepily. "You're back, huh?"

"Yes," Zelda said. "I was told you wanted to see me."

"It's about the dead Sage," Fado yawned. "She's waiting in the Great Deku Tree's garden. Though, I think you should stay here…"

"How do you know about the Sages?" Zelda asked.

"Those two are Peach and Malon, right?" Fado asked.

"Yes, but…"

"When Nabooru took everyone's souls," Fado said. "That's how I know."

"Oh…"

"But seriously, you should stay here and let your friends handle this one."

"It won't be any different from the others," Zelda sighed. "Why should I sit out of this one?"

"She's a Stalfos," Fado smirked sleepily, laying her head down again. "If you destroy her as she is, you might as well look for a new Sage. Unless you know the Song of Healing, you'd be totally useless."

"Do you?" Malon asked.

"Nope."

"I can't just stand aside while my friends put themselves in danger," Zelda frowned.

"Trust me," Fado said, rolling onto her side and closing her eyes. "The fight will be easier if you aren't there to make her angry. Just go hang out in Link's house or something. It wouldn't be such a bad idea to pick up some of his stuff for later."

"But…"

"We'll be fine," Peach assured her.

"Yeah, don't worry so much," Malon smiled.

"All right," Zelda sighed, walking out. Once they exited, Zelda headed up to Link's house while Malon and Peach trotted toward the Great Deku Tree's garden. After reaching the wide, open area, they could see the Deku Sprout in the usual column of light. Malon was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the deceased Deku Tree.

"That thing is huge!" Malon exclaimed.

"Shh!"

"What?"

"Over there…" They could see something hiding behind one of the large roots of the Great Deku Tree. They carefully moved around the root and saw a monstrous skeleton crouching and covering its face.

"Is it…afraid?" Malon whispered.

"Excuse me," Peach called, stepping toward it. "Are you okay?" The Stalfos's red eyes turned toward them and it slowly uncovered its face.

"Where…" it spoke in a vaguely female, though garbled voice. "Where…is Link?"

"Do you know him?" Malon asked.

"Where…is…Zelda?"

"We're here to help you," Peach said, continuing to walk forward. "You're a Sage, right?"

"Stay away!" the Stalfos growled, crawling over the side of the root.

"Wait, we want to help you!" Peach said, giving chase.

"Why don't you just heal her and be done with it?" Malon asked, also running.

"I can't if she's out of my range," Peach said. "I need to get closer."

"She sure can run," Malon noted. The Stalfos was skittering from hiding spot to hiding spot. It eventually neared the entrance, seemingly ready to escape. A heavy wind blew through the entrance and knocked her over. Peach managed to get close and began to use Therapy.

"No!" the Stalfos screamed in anguish. "Go away! No more pain!" It burst into purple flames and burned to ashes.

"Oh, no!" Peach yelped in shock.

"This isn't good," Malon said worriedly. "I think we blew it…"

"No, you didn't," a voice called from near the Deku Tree.

"Who said that?" Malon asked. They moved closer and saw that it was the Deku Sprout. "You can talk?"

"Of course," the Deku Sprout spoke.

"I almost forgot about you," Peach said with slight embarrassment. "What should we do now?"

"The Sage of Life needs to revive the spirit that was cursed to become a Stalfos," the Deku Sprout replied. "She died here long ago. When Ganondorf saw that you were reviving Sages, he found her first and imprisoned her spirit in a Stalfos body. Fortunately, you purified her."

"Right," Malon said, walking back to the ashes. After a brief glow of rainbow, an unconscious woman appeared where the Stalfos had been. Her hair was long and blonde. She wore a brown cloak over a white tunic and turquoise dress. Judging from the way she was dressed, she had been in the upper class of society.

"Is she okay?" Peach asked.

"She will be fine," the Deku Sprout said.

"Let's move her inside," Malon said, picking her up.

"You're kind of strong," Peach said as they began walking back to the village.

"I work on a farm," Malon giggled. "Those crates of milk don't move themselves."

"By the way, you wouldn't happen to know where that wind came from, would you?"

"It might be the next Sage. They did say that both of them would be here." When they reached Saria's house, they saw Zelda climbing down the ladder at Link's house.

"Is that her?" Zelda called, quickly running over.

"I think so," Malon said, carrying her inside. She laid her onto the other bed. "Ganondorf turned her into a Stalfos, but we fixed it."

"Who is she?" Zelda asked.

"I was hoping you knew…"

"She's Link's mother," Fado said, turning over to face them. "She died trying to get him to safety when he was still an infant. She had been mortally wounded before she even got into the forest. She asked the Deku Tree to take care of Link and died soon after."

Zelda raised an eyebrow and asked, "Does anyone else find it strange that all of the Sages we've revived are mothers?"

"All of the original Sages were people Link knew," Fado said. "It's not too far of a stretch."

"Good point…"

"Do you know who the other Sage is?" Peach asked. "We think he or she may have caused that wind that kept this one from getting away."

"I did," Fado smiled. "I'm the one you're looking for. The Sage of Wind. She's the Sage of Earth."

"That's convenient," Peach smiled. Zelda dashed outside under a table and put up her shield.

"Peach, heal her now!" Zelda yelled.

"There's no need for that," Fado said, still lying down.

"So…you're not trying to kill Zelda?" Malon asked, already reaching for her bow and arrow.

"Nope," Fado answered. "Never crossed my mind."

"That's strange," Peach said.

"I think the curse is weakening," Fado said. She glanced over to Zelda. "You can come out now."

"Just being cautious," Zelda said. "Would you mind if Peach healed you?"

"Not at all," Fado smiled. Peach glowed pink briefly.

"…She's fine," Peach smiled. "She can't get any better than she already is."

"That's a relief," Zelda said, coming from under the table and dispelling the shield. "The last thing I need is someone ripping me apart in a tornado."

"Even if I wanted to fight," Fado spoke, "I don't think I'd hold up very well against any one of you. Not in the condition I'm in, anyway."

"But Peach said you were fine," Zelda said curiously. Peach also gave her a questioning look.

"They are," Malon spoke understandingly.

"They?"

Fado smiled and patted her stomach. "Apparently, all of the Sages you've been finding _are_ mothers…or at least will be."

"Where am I?" the Earth Sage asked meekly.

"Good, you're awake," Peach smiled.

"You're in the Kokiri Forest," Malon said.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Malon," she replied.

"Malon?" she said, looking confused. "You look awfully youthful for…what's it been…almost seventeen years… Have you been taking your own concoctions again?"

"I'm her daughter," Malon smiled. "These are my friends, Princess Peach Toadstool and Princess Zelda Hyrule."

"Oh, my gracious!" the Earth Sage said, bowing. "It is an honor to meet royalty in-person."

"Rise," Zelda said royally. "It is an honor to meet the mother of the Hero of Time. What would you like us to call you?"

"Salome will do nicely, milady," she answered. "Excuse me, but who is that young lady there?"

"My name's Fado."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Salome said.

"If we're all done here," Zelda spoke, "we might as well go back to the ranch."

* * *

"Well, we have quite a few people now, don't we?" Mother Malon smiled. "It's a pleasure to see you again, milady."

"It's nice to see you as well, Malon," Salome nodded. "I don't mean to be rude, but what are the sleeping arrangements?"

"Well, I'll give my bed to Fado," she replied. "Everyone else is free to fend for themselves."

"I suppose the floor will do for me, then," Salome said. "Goodnight, everyone."

"Goodnight," they all replied. Just then, Ingrid arrived.

"I see you succeeded," she said. "Very good."

"It was all Peach and Malon's work," Zelda said. "And since no one got hurt, I guess they really were better off without me. But when do I awaken as a Sage?"

"Who knows?" Ingrid shrugged. "I'm rather tired after dealing with angry Gorons."

"Did you succeed?"

"Fortunately, Nabooru and Rita are much better at diplomacy than I am," Ingrid said. "We will begin preparations tomorrow. Goodnight." With that said, everyone began moving to their chosen sleeping areas. As Peach began to follow Ingrid into the barn, Ingrid turned around and signaled her to stop. "I insist that you sleep away from me."

"…O…kay," Peach said, as Ingrid shut the door behind herself. Only Malon and Zelda were still out, watching the dying light in the sky. Peach smiled upon seeing them in the distance. She looked at the dim stars beginning to appear in the rouge-colored sky.

* * *

"It's almost over, Zel," Malon sighed, leaning against her. "Everything will be right again. We'll even have our mothers back…won't we?"

"I hope so," Zelda said, stroking her hair. "It would be a shame only to have them back just for this occasion."

_"Malon...Zelda…"_

"What was that?" Malon asked.

"That was…Sheik?"

_"Yes, it's me."_

"What are you doing here?" Zelda asked, despite not seeing anything.

_"I was hoping that I'd be able to help again,"_ he said. _"I just want to help… I'll understand if you don't trust me anymore…but I can't do anything in this state."_

"We'll need all the help we can get," Zelda said with a small smile. "Malon." Malon used her power and Sheik appeared before them.

"Thank you," he bowed. "It was rather difficult to wander this far from the graveyard, but it has paid off. Thank you both."

"You're welcome," Malon said. Sheik looked around distractedly.

"She's over there," Zelda smirked. Sheik blushed immediately. "Go to her."

"I am in your debt," Sheik bowed once again. He sighed nervously and walked to Peach, who was still looking into the darkening sky.

"Don't you think they'd make a cute couple?" Malon asked.

"That would be creepy…"

"What makes you say that?"

"He looks a bit too much like me," Zelda said. "I'm fairly certain he's related to me."

* * *

"Hello, Peach," Sheik said, nearly startling her.

"Sheik? Is that you?"

"In the flesh," he smiled beneath his veil. She rushed up to him and embraced him.

"I thought I'd never see you again!" Peach said, giving him a peck on the forehead.

"I'm back for good," he said, trying to keep his composure. "I missed my own body a lot…but I missed you more…"

* * *

Mother Malon snuggled up against Talon as they sat against the crates in the chicken coop. Though he spent most of the day and night sleeping, she still loved him nonetheless. However, she made a mental note to prepare a remedy for his snoring. At the moment, she simply pinched his lips closed until he began to breathe through his nose. Everything was peaceful from that point on. She was nearly asleep when she suddenly felt something move against her.

"Malon?"

"Sorry, Mother," Malon whispered. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not," she smiled, wrapping an arm around her. "It reminds me of when you were still a little girl… But what about Zelda?"

"Oh, Mother," Malon giggled, lying against her. "We're not joined at the hip, you know."

* * *

Ingrid was fast asleep in the barn. She was sitting in the hay peacefully when she felt something moving around her. She opened her eyes as Zelda sat in her lap and laid her head against her chest. It was something that had not happened to her since she had finished raising Impa.

"Trouble in paradise?" Ingrid asked.

"We decided to let Peach have the spot," Zelda sighed. "…You're warm."

Ingrid held her close and smiled.


	21. Preparation

**Preparation **

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Sheik asked, as he followed Peach into the secret room.

"Of course," she smiled, pulling the blanket out of the hay. "I don't really want to sleep alone. And I know I can trust you… Remember how you guarded me while I slept back in Dinosaur Land?"

"Um…yes," he said nervously.

"Why are you so nervous?" she asked.

"Because I never thought I would be sleeping beside the woman I love so soon," he said, still kneeling by the entrance.

"Oh…" she said, blushing.

"Did you forget?" he asked, slowly sitting next to her.

"No…" she said, trying to hide her blushing face. "I just…haven't really had time to think about it… Why do you feel that way about me?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked.

"I've gotten plenty of love letters before…but none of the senders have seen me do the things you've seen me do. They would never approve…"

"I love you because you are a woman full of strength, courage, and wisdom," he said, taking her hand. "You're beautiful, kind, and pure of heart…so pure that you crippled an evil spirit with a kiss. Words simply don't do you justice."

"Sheik…"

"I can't tell you how much I love you… I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I want raise children with you, even grow old with you. You are my queen, my angel, my goddess, sweet Peach."

"You're making me blush," she smiled bashfully.

"You're cute when you blush," he said, moving a stray tress of hair out of her face. "It makes you so…peachy."

"I've never had someone say things like that in-person," she said as he rubbed her hand. "I…don't know what to say."

"Just say you'll be with me, Peach," he said, smiling softly beneath his veil.

She looked around a bit worriedly and arched away. "Sheik…I'm not ready for that…"

He gave her a strange look and then realized what was on her mind. "Oh, I'm not asking for _that_. I just want your love. Sheikah were rather notorious for not doing much…erm, in that department. We had more important things to do."

"Have you ever…you know."

"No," he sighed. "I did love another woman though…long ago."

"What happened to her?"

"She was a great friend of mine," he nostalgically. "She seemed to hint at stronger feelings just as I had. Unfortunately, we both lost our lives during the war."

"I'm sorry," Peach said sadly.

"Though I miss her greatly, I see her in you," he said, looking into her eyes. "I can't ask you to do anything but be with me. I want to help you return to your world. Perhaps, I might even stay there with you, if only to see you… May I…hug you?"

"Yes…yes, you may," she nodded. He embraced her and laid his chin on her shoulder.

"Thank you," he whispered, stroking her mane. "You have such a beautiful soul. I appreciate everything you've done for Zelda and I…especially Zelda. When she needed extra strength, you were there. If and when you ever decide to have children, I'm sure you'd make an excellent mother."

"Um, thanks," she said.

"Would it be okay if…I kiss you?" he asked shyly. He quickly added, "Tell me if I'm asking me too much."

"No, that's fine," she said. "You've saved me more than enough times for one little kiss. Just make sure it's on the che…" Before she could finish, he had already pressed his lips to hers. He broke away immediately.

"I'm sorry. I should probably go now," he said, beginning to move toward the entrance.

"No, it's okay," she said, pulling him back. "It was a little mistake. No big deal."

"So forgiving…" he whispered to himself. "Um, perhaps we should go to sleep."

"Good idea," she said, also feeling a little nervous. They laid themselves down and pulled the blanket over. They soon discovered that the blanket was not big enough to cover both of them side-by-side. "It's a little small. Malon and Zelda must not sleep next to each other very much."

"I'm certain they lie on one another," Sheik said. When Peach blushed, he did as well. He scooted back against the wall and said, "You can keep the blanket."

"I don't want you to get cold," she said, scooting away from it. "Go ahead, take it."

"I can't do that," he said modestly. "It wouldn't be the chivalrous thing to do."

"Well, we'll both get cold if we don't do something," she smiled nervously.

"…You could lay against me," he suggested quietly.

"…Okay," she said, scooting in front of him and laying her head against his chest. She pulled the blanket over the both of them and said, "There. That works." She suddenly tensed up when she felt his hands wrap around her stomach.

"Goodnight," Sheik said, rubbing her briefly.

Peach was relieved that his hands did not move any higher or lower. They remained comfortably at her stomach. "Goodnight, Sheik," she smiled, snuggling against him.

* * *

"Peach? Peach? Peach, wake up! Please, you have to wake up!" Peach could hear Sheik's voice urgently calling her. She felt as if he was carrying her. She was too sleepy to really tell.

"Sheik…" she murmured.

"That's right, it's me," he said. "Now I need you to open your eyes. You'll be in big trouble if you don't snap out of it. You've been poisoned… Don't let it overtake you." She barely opened her eyes and saw the fuzzy image of his face before closing them again. "You can do better than that. I know you can."

"Too tired," she said, snuggling against him. She numbly felt gentle slapping at her cheek. The sensation became less and less to the point that she could no longer feel anything.

* * *

"She's out cold," Sheik said, laying her down inside the cage. It was hanging from the stone ceiling by a chain. It was extremely dark here. One would not be able to see too far away in the room. Sheik used telekinesis to bend the bars and hopped out. He bent the bars back into place and looked toward the yellow eyes of the Gerudo man sitting in a chair further in the darkness.

"Was all that drama really necessary?" Ganondorf asked.

"I prefer to play my part as accurately as possible," he answered.

"Why did you bring her here?" Ganondorf sneered. "This is Koopa's trophy, not mine." A whirl of sparkles overtook Sheik and he transformed into a smirking woman who looked exactly like Zelda in a royal dress.

"She's not just a trophy," she said. "She is also Zelda's friend. They'll find out that she's been kidnapped eventually. I made sure to leave a note. And I'm sure Sheik is doing his best to let them know. He'll bypass my barrier sooner or later. He'd do anything for his precious Princess Peach."

"Bait, hmm?"

"Well, I'm sure she will have some value to you," she said suggestively.

"I have more important things to worry about than finding a concubine," Ganondorf said, narrowing his eyes.

"If you investigate her yourself," she said, beginning to teleport, "I'm sure you'll find she has something of use to you. In the meantime, you might want to soften the others up a little."

* * *

_"Ingrid, wake up!"_ Sheik yelled at her. She awakened immediately.

_"What is it?"_ she asked, still holding a sleeping Zelda.

_"Peach is in serious danger! An impostor tricked Malon and Zelda. That's why they aren't together. They were letting Peach stay with whoever or whatever it is!"_ At this, Ingrid shook Zelda awake.

"What is it?" Zelda asked sleepily.

"Is Sheik with Peach?"

"Huh? Oh, yes… Malon revived him last night. He's with Peach in our secret spot."

Ingrid hopped up immediately and bolted out the door. She sprinted across the moonlit pasture, jumping the fences. Instead of opening the door, she smashed through it and slid through the hole. She had her scythe ready when she was inside the room, but only found a dagger pinning a note to the wall. She took the note and quickly read over it.

She returned outside the silo and quickly ran back to the barn. "Zelda, get ready."

"What is it?" Zelda asked, somewhat irritated.

"Peach has been kidnapped," Ingrid said hurriedly. "If we hurry…" She never finished her sentence and ran out the door again. Zelda went outside and found her standing on the roof, looking toward Hyrule Castle Town.

"How did you do that?" Zelda called. Ingrid hopped down and opened the door to the house.

"Wake up!" she yelled inside.

"Mother, what are you doing?" Zelda scolded, grabbing onto her.

"There is an army gathering in Hyrule Castle Town," Ingrid said to her. "I need to gather our forces quickly." She thrust her hands upward and a Stalfos rose from the ground nearby. "Stand guard," she ordered. Zelda stood back in shock as the skeleton warrior obeyed and walked to the entrance.

"A Stalfos?" Zelda said in amazement.

"What's going on out here?" Mother Malon asked, peeking out the door with her daughter.

"An army is approaching…" Ingrid said. "Nabooru has no doubt sensed it herself… And Peach has been kidnapped."

"Calm down," Mother Malon said, speaking more to herself than anyone else. "We'll get through this…"

"Salome!" Ingrid called.

"Yes?" Salome said, peeking out the second floor window.

"Can you create a disturbance at the entrance to the town?"

"I think so…"

"Then, do it," Ingrid said, as Stalchildren began to walk into the ranch with a clatter. "…I suppose this will have to do for now. Zelda, I want you to pack your things and go to Kakariko. Make sure the Gerudo know what is going on. Then, do the same at Zora's Domain. Any and all Hylian soldiers are to report to either Kakariko or Lon Lon. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Zelda nodded.

"Good girl," Ingrid nodded back. Zelda rushed back into the barn to get anything else she needed before warping away.

"What about us?" Malon asked as the ground vibrated slightly.

"It's just Salome," Ingrid assured her. "Make sure everyone moves away from the edges of the ranch. If you have any tricks you haven't shown us yet, now would be the time to put them to use."

"I'm not sure," Malon said thoughtfully.

"Use the Cuccos," Mother Malon said without warning.

"Huh?"

"You have some power over life," she explained. "Many animals are at your disposal. And there are few things more dangerous than a flock of angry Cuccos. I had to assert my power over them back when we first hired Ingo and he had kicked them around a bit too much."

"I was thinking along the lines of a more strategic ability," Ingrid said as she sat in place "Perhaps you should keep that for yourself. Tell Fado to cause as much damage as she can. Malon, do you have any meditation aids?"

"I'm afraid not," Mother Malon frowned. "All I have are healing, stimulant, and sedative herbs. I've never had the opportunity to go pick the proper materials."

Ingrid sighed and closed her eyes. "What about those mushrooms in the barn?"

"Mushrooms?" Mother Malon said with surprise, rushing into the barn.

"Won't getting high mess up your concentration?" Malon asked, not knowing whether it was okay to laugh or not.

"Sheikah don't 'get high,' as you put it," Ingrid said. "However, entrancement will help me block out the distractions around me."

"Um, excuse me," Mother Malon said, coming out of the door. "I've never seen these types of mushrooms before. They look like some sort of odd toadstools." She held up the odd, but somewhat large fungus. It had a red cap with white dots. The thick stalk seemed to have two beady little eyes.

"It's kind of creepy," Malon said.

"I don't think it's very good for smoking," Mother Malon said doubtfully. Ingrid took it from her and took a bite out of it.

"It doesn't taste like any mushroom I've eaten," she said. "It tastes…good. Bland, but good." She had the slightest feeling of empowerment, as if she had grown stronger.

* * *

When Zelda arrived in the graveyard, she sprinted into Kakariko Village. She could see the Gerudos already gathering supplies. One of them spotted her and called, "Go see Nabooru in the windmill!" Zelda ran up the stairs and entered. Nabooru was standing on the spinning platform with her foot on a Hylian's chest.

"Tell me, dammit!" Nabooru yelled, smacking the man she had pinned down. He had a musical contraption on his back, though the song was being warped because he was on top of it.

"Please, let me go!" he begged.

"What's going on?" Zelda asked, rushing to her.

"This man had Link's soul!" she yelled. "Now, it's gone. I tried to make him give it up, but it just disappeared."

"I don't have it anymore!" he cried. "I'm sorry! Please, forgive me!"

"What were you doing with a soul?" Zelda asked sternly.

"He had a grudge against Link," Nabooru said.

"He ruined everything!" the man said, narrowing his eyes to a near-demonic degree. "Everything was spinning too fast! It's because he played that song! And whenever he comes back, he just says 'Hey, it's that Windmill Guy.' He never even apologized!" Nabooru kicked him in the jaw.

"Useless _myagra_!" she cursed. "There was another man with him."

"What did he look like?" Zelda asked.

"The other one looked like a rich, red-headed version of him," Nabooru said, glaring down at him. "He had the same eyes, but more evil. He was carrying a large backpack with masks all over it."

"The Happy Mask Salesman?"

"Yes!" the cowering man said.

"Where is the Mask Salesman?" Zelda asked in an intimidating tone.

"I…I don't know," he said. "He's insane… There's no telling where he is…" Zelda stood up straight and looked to Nabooru.

"You know about the attack force, right?"

"Yep," she nodded. "We're already preparing. I was about to give the message to everyone in Hyrule, but then I found this…man."

"Please, don't kill me!" he screamed.

"My mother is making good use of the dead," Zelda spoke. "But I think this one won't be useful as he is."

"Just as I was thinking," Nabooru said as the man suddenly fainted. His soul flew into her. "I have a plan."

"What is it?" Zelda said.

"Everyone but Ganondorf and his forces will know," Nabooru said, focusing. _"All able warriors are to attack from the south and the east. Hilda the Reaper will cover the south. From the east, Gorons will take the lead, followed immediately by Gerudo and Hylians. Zoras will attack from the river. Our goal is to lure Ganondorf's army away from the castle. That way, Zelda will be able to go the Temple of Time unnoticed. Hopefully, she will be able to retrieve the Sword of Evil's Bane and defeat Ganondorf. Our prayers are with her. The rest of us will march! I ask that all disembodied souls come to our aid. Souls, come unto me!"_ Moments after she finished her sentence, a whirling soul stream came through the wall and surged into her.

"Good luck," Zelda said, taking out her lyre.

"I'll do my best to find Link's soul," she said, opening the door. "For now, we'll have to manage without the Hero of Time." Zelda played the Prelude to Light and looked upward. Nothing happened.

"It looks like I'll have to do this the hard way," Zelda said. She transformed and took on Sheik's clothing, minus the metal plate and codpiece.

"Impa and Sheik want you to know," Nabooru said, smiling, "to use all the training they've provided. With the flow, not against it."

"I understand," Zelda said. "I'll sneak ahead and wait for you all to get their attention."

"Just make sure to rescue Peach," Nabooru said, obviously speaking for Sheik. "Hopefully, we'll see you later."

* * *

Ganondorf sat in the darkness, thinking to himself. He was in an unusually good mood thanks to the little surprise his cohort had left him. He knew there would be an imminent response to his army. He knew it would come down to a small fight in the end. At the most, he would only have to fight the Sages. At the very least, only one person would show up. He was sure it would not be Link, since the supposed Hero of Time was still in his possession. The only thing that concerned him was the Sage of Time and carrier of the Triforce of Wisdom. The Sages, as strengthened and threatening as they were, would be of little consequence. He had already made arrangements to keep them out of the picture. Suddenly, Peach's most recent kidnapper appeared again, still resembling Zelda.

"According to our calculations," she said, "they will attack around dawn."

"You know the plan," he said, leaning his chin on his black broadsword.

"Let them think they have a chance, overwhelm them, and finally…"

"Crush them. And what about our guest? I don't want any surprises out of her. She's caused Bowser enough trouble. I don't want anything on my end to…"

"You have nothing to worry about, Ganny," she smirked. "The poison I gave her is a special kind that not only puts the victim to sleep, it also kills them slowly and painlessly. Since Sheik had such strong feelings for her, I figured that it would make sense if he were to…let her down easily. You know, 'killing me softly.' No mortal magic can cure it. I hope that will satisfy you."

"It will suffice," he smiled wickedly. "Soon, the Triforce will be mine…"

"Then, I shall report to Bowser," the Zelda look-alike said, bowing.

* * *

Ingrid rode atop a horse, carrying her scythe. She was leading a small, but increasing army of Stalfos and Stalchildren. They were atop a hill, surveying the enemy army before them. There were Moblins, Stalfos, Iron Knuckles, Dodongos, Wolfos, and various other land forces. She could see Guays and Keese flapping their wings in a black cloud of feathers and leathery skin. She was sure there were aquatic defenses along the river as well. Fado and Salome's assaults were evident, judging from the damage the army had already sustained. There was a dying tornado tearing through their ranks. The land around them had large cracks, trenches, and even sharp rock that had jutted through the surface. It was evident that both Sages had tired out by now.

Though she was sure her Stalchildren would not last very long, she had more confidence in herself and the Stalfos. Since her location was closest, she knew she would have to fight before her allies could get there. She watched as the morning light began to appear over the horizon and the stars disappeared into twilight. She hopped off her horse and turned it back toward the ranch. She never liked riding horses unless she had to. She smacked its rear and it galloped back to the ranch.

"For the honor of the Royal Family," she spoke, raising her weapon as it showed a reflection of the rising sun. "And the memory of my fallen brethren… It will rain blood today…"

"Aaaah!" her undead companions cried as they all ran ahead, charging into battle. "Slay them all!"


	22. The Battle for Hyrule

**The Battle for Hyrule**

As Ingrid charged forth, she raised as many last minute soldiers as she could. She managed to summon three Big Stalchildren before slamming her telekinesis into the enemy army like a wrecking ball. She then, emitted a cloud of black mist around her, killing anything nearby that wasn't already dead. That took care of a large portion of spear-wielding Moblins, but it left enemy Stalfos and Iron Knuckles untouched. She slammed the combined force of her scythe and telekinesis into a Stalfos shield, shattering the entire warrior in the process. She parried a slash of another Stalfos and beheaded it before sidestepping a rock-crushing blow from an Iron Knuckle's ax. She lifted the Iron Knuckle with her power and tossed it back into the crowd, as she had to dodge more swipes from Stalfos swords.

Stalfos fought Stalfos and the Stalchildren were quickly being decimated, though the latter were in such large numbers, it did not matter very much. Things were becoming too crowded for much maneuvering. Ingrid's wide slices gave her plenty of room, however. Along with that, her psychic blasts and black mists were clearing away much of the primary forces. In moments where she did become crowded in, she either cleared them away with one of her magical powers, or she leapt to a less crowded part.

So far, the plan was working. Much of the enemy army was clambering to kill her and destroy her servants. However, they also seemed to be getting smarter. It got to the point that her black mist was useless because none of her foes were of the living. She was mostly fighting Iron Knuckles, Stalfos, and the occasional Poe. The armored knights were unusually dangerous in such large groups, almost requiring her to push them away with her telekinesis. The Stalfos were more bothersome since they had much more agility and had shields to negate damage. The Poes were purely annoying, since they often used hit-and-run strategies. Fortunately, she took the chance to revive any of the slain monsters fit for battle. It was not long before her Stalchildren and Stalfos had been replaced by gutted Lizalfos, impaled Dinolfos, and undead Moblins. She also began to notice a few battle-ready Hylians joining the fight. Everything was going well.

* * *

Nabooru led her Hylian and Gerudo troops across the river and toward the battle on horseback. Ramps had been strategically set at the riverside. They could see a few Zora swimming beneath the surface, also approaching the battle. A small contingent of horseback archers halted and began firing from a distance. The enemy quickly noticed them and advanced. Moments later, Gorons began to roll down the stairs from Kakariko Village and used the ramps to jump the river. They ended up barreling into the enemy army before the Hylians and Gerudos could reach them. The Gorons continued to plow through the enemy ranks for a short time before making a u-turn back toward Nabooru. They uncurled next to her and she raised her hand forward. There were many irritated Dodongos stomping forward, while large numbers of Lizalfos and Dinolfos came their way. 

"Souls! Come unto me!" Nabooru commanded, as her hand glowed with power. Nearly every approaching enemy fell over as their souls surged into her. "It might be difficult to only act as a distraction. We might very well just crush them. Goron brothers, move in from the south! All archers, fire at will! Everyone else, kill them all!" Everyone did as they were told, while she ran into battle with the top-ranking Gerudos and most skilled Hylians. Even as she took the souls from every enemy in front of her, her companions made sure to finish off even the fallen monsters. This caused quite a few dying Dodongos to explode violently behind them.

The river began to cloud with red as the Zoras did their part underwater. Since water was a purifying element, only aquatic monsters could come here. It was easily the most poorly guarded area. Most of the enemies here were killed with one or two swipes of a spear. Those that attempted to attack outside the water, such as the Octoroks, Biri, Stingers, and Shabom, merely had their souls taken and were easy prey to the Zoras.

Zelda watched the battle cautiously from her hiding spot. Since there was really nothing to hide behind, she was using an old Sheikah camouflage trick that involved standing against an object and using a cloth that took on the appearance of the background. Judging from what she was seeing, there might very well be a siege on the castle instead of a diversion. Ganondorf's forces were meeting nothing but destruction. Her mother was building up quite a large army on her side. Nabooru, who was closer, was doing even better with her soul stealing. Killing the previous Sages had indeed made the rest stronger. It eventually got to the point that there were only a dozen Iron Knuckles left. Ingrid and Nabooru seemed to be acting rather considerate for each other. Ingrid actually bowed and stepped back as Nabooru absorbed the souls of the remaining forces. The armies of Hyrule cheered triumphantly. Nabooru glanced in Zelda's direction as she absorbed a flurry of souls from the town.

"_I think we might be able to take it from here,"_ Nabooru communicated to her. "_This was much easier than I thought it would be."_ She spoke too soon as a black tear in space appeared at the gate. Seemingly normal Mecha Koopas began to walk out. From the gate itself, more armored knights appeared. Then, red-eyed, thickly plated Bob-ombs began to accompany the Mecha Koopas out of the tear. Nabooru could not sense any spirits within these new threats.

"They don't have souls!" she called out to Ingrid, who was steadily releasing a black cloud onto them. It was evident that they were not life forms of any sort because the mist had absolutely no effect on them.

The armored knights ran forward at surprising speed. Ingrid dodged to the side of a swung ax and slammed the sharpest point of her scythe into the robots back. Though the Titanium Knuckle was knocked aside, the scythe chipped and cracked. She then focused on simply dodging its unusually fast swings and moving back. It was back to Plan A once again. The Mecha Koopas opened their mouths as they marched forward and blew jets of flame, pushing back the warriors of Hyrule even further. Zelda slowly moved closer to the gate, while staying hidden. Unfortunately, these mechanical beings were forming a perimeter rather than charging.

Zelda knew that her dagger and needles would be nearly useless against their metal hides. She was especially worried about the advancing Bob-ombs since she was the only one who knew what they were capable of. She hastened her pace and stood against the wall of the gate, around the corner from a guarding Titanium Knuckle. She followed its gaze and saw another black tear forming in the field to the west. Her eyes widened when she saw five colossal mechs exit. There were two Big Knuckles, one black and the other white, on the outer flanking positions. The inner flanking positions were held by giant Mecha Koopas. The central robot was a dark Mecha Bowser. She could see missile pods opening up all along their metal bodies. She pondered taking a shot at one of the Bob-ombs in the hope of revealing their explosive power.

Ingrid glanced backward upon hearing the thundering steps of the giants and gazed up at them. Though a long distance away, they were attempting to block them in. She turned back in time to block an attempted strike by the Titanium Knuckle closest to her. It effectively broke the wooden handle of her blade. She pushed the robot away with her telekinesis and used the same power to toss the sickle around it like a boomerang. It managed to disable several Mecha Koopas and returned to her. The Titanium Knuckle charged at her again. She used its own momentum against it and flipped it over her shoulder, stealing its heavy battle ax in the process. Unexpectedly, a jet of flame came her way and her cloak caught on fire. She tossed it away and saw that the Mecha Koopas had reassembled themselves. When she heard the mechanical knight get up behind her, she teleported to the other side of it and slammed its ax into its shoulder. She yanked it out with a grunt and saw a few sparks come out of the broken wires of the Titanium Knuckle. Before it could counterstrike, she used her telekinesis to rip out all the wires in its body. It powered down and fell to its knees. Unfortunately, she would quickly be alone on this side since her servants were quickly being disintegrated and chopped to bits. Fortunately, the Gorons were coming to her aid. Their strength alone made them excellent allies. One Goron knocked over a Titanium Knuckle, pounded it into the ground, and ripped its arm off.

Nabooru had charged her energy into her swords, making them more effective on the Titanium Knuckles. Her enhanced strength also allowed her to hold her own against the robots. She occasionally got the chance to absorb the energy from the flamethrowers, though it was dangerous to simply stand around. The rest of the forces on her side were holding back, firing arrows behind the frontlines. Only the Mecha Koopas seemed to be affected at all by the arrows. They clinked harmlessly off of everything else.

"_Zelda, you're going to have to take your chance soon,"_ Nabooru said to her. As a Titanium Knuckle dived at her, she rolled on her back and launched the robot high into the air. As soon as she got to her feet she jumped into a spin attack and sliced into the robots armor, and landed her swords into anotherTitanium Knucklebelow her. The airborne Knuckle smashed into the ground, demolished. Nabooru lifted the impaled robot and tossed it into one of the Bob-ombs. The walkingbomb was knocked over and its eyes became a countdown from three. When they reached zero, it exploded, blowing the Titanium Knuckle and anything else nearby to pieces.

"Aim for the round ones!" Nabooru called out, shielding her eyes from the smoke. All arrows were directed at the Bob-ombs, but none were penetrating the armor. Suddenly, Banzai Bills flew overhead from the mechs in the distance and exploded behind Nabooru's side of the field. A second volley of projectiles thatlanded in the same area did not explode. Instead, they released more Mecha Koopas. The forces of Hyrule were being blocked in from all sides.

Zelda took careful aim at the largest cluster of Bob-ombs with her bow and arrow. The arrow ignited into an aura of fire. She let the arrow blaze across the river and into the back of an oblivious Bob-omb. There was an earthshaking explosion that disintegrated many Mecha Koopas and severely damaged the Titanium Knuckles in the area. Unfortunately, the move had completely given away her position to the entire battlefield. About a third of the enemy forces began to approach her position. The Titanium Knuckle guarding nearby quickly jumped the river and ran toward her. Before it could reach her, a beam of icy blue energy froze the robot solid.

"Zelda, hurry!" Rita called, peeking out of the river. She hopped out of the river and froze as many approaching robots as possible. Unfortunately, more of them were coming from black tears and the approaching giants were firing barrages of Bills and Bob-ombs. Zelda took her chance and bolted toward the gate. Rita had prepared small ice platforms for her to jump across. When the Titanium Knuckles began resisting the ice beam, other Zoras exited the water and attacked head-on.

Blood was quickly covering the ground. But as soon as bodies dropped, they rose to their feet under Ingrid's power. Now weaponless because of the excessive weight of the ax, she was under heavy mental strain because she needed to use her telekinesis to do any damage. She often combined her telekinesis with her own kicks and punches, though it was taking a toll on her. Her hands were bloodied and her body ached, though no one could tell since she was so inexpressive. She had already revived some of the Gorons to continue fighting. When Bullet Bills launched overhead, she attempted to redirect them toward the enemy.

The battlefield was pure chaos. There were explosions going off everywhere. The Zoras were doing there best to protect Rita, who was assisting Zelda. Ingrid was trying to draw off as much of the enemy army as possible, despite the giants only a mile away. Nabooru was holding off the frontlines of the evil army on her side since her troops were staving off the enemies approaching from behind.

Finally Zelda reached the bridge, but was blocked by more Titanium Knuckles carrying Bullet Bill Blasters. She put up her shield in time to block the immediate barrage, but it shattered her shield. She rolled out of the way as one lunged with a massive sword. She rolled behind it and instinctively jammed her dagger into the back of its neck. Sparks came out and it backhanded her, leaving her completely vulnerable on the ground. Before they could finish her, a Dodongo plowed them over and melted their Blasters with its flame breath.

"Oh no…" Zelda sighed just before it scooped her onto its back. "Next time, send a saddle, Malon!" she cried as it trotted through the gate and into the town. There were fallen ReDeads everywhere, presumably having their souls taken by Nabooru already. Rico went straight for the Temple of Time. It suddenly became darker here. It was as if something was beginning to block off the field. Rico took Zelda into the temple unopposed and let her down.

Zelda ran straight into the chamber of the Master Sword. To her shock, the sword was nowhere to be found. "How could anyone have moved it? Evil cannot touch the Master Sword…" She did, however, see that the windows were all shrouded in black curtains, making the room extremely dark. She used Fire Arrows to burn away the curtains. Once the dim light flowed in, it was apparent that there was an evil barrier around the pedestal. She charged as much power as she could into her Shining Ray and launched it into the barrier. The barrier disintegrated and a white light appeared above the pedestal. The light grew in size and intensity. Zelda stepped back anxiously.

The temple began to rumble as the light steadily increased. Suddenly, it became enormous and shrunk back down to the size of a pinhole. There was a loud popping sound and Zelda had to turn away as there was a blinding flash. When she looked, she saw fairies of every color of the rainbow streaming out of the space above the pedestal as if they werecoming out ofa vacuum set in reverse. The fairies all smashed through the windows and flew outside. The last to exit the portal was Geno. He had his cape closed over his from. All that could be seen of him was his mouth and nose since the shadow of his low-set cap and his dangling hair obscured his eyes.

"Geno? Is that you?" Zelda said, with surprise.

"Am I speaking to Zelda or Sheik?" he asked, looking her over.

"It's Zelda," she answered. "I'm glad to see you and the fairies…but Peach has been kidnapped, Ganondorf has an army fighting Hyrule outside the gate, and the Master Sword has been taken."

"I know," he said.

"Hey!" a familiar, though muffled voice called from under his cape. There was a strange, bluish glow emanating from there.

"Navi?" Zelda asked. "I'm glad you're here. Where have you all been?"

"Geno was handling things in the Mushroom World," she answered.

"Wait, how did you survive? Are the others…?"

"Everyone is okay," he smiled. "I borrowed a Warp Star from Star Hill to get to Sarasaland in the first place. It gave us a pick-up and quick escape. I wasn't able to come here right away. Neither of us could."

"The other fairies and I were locked away in Sub Con by something. You broke the seal."

"You mean Peach's dream was real?"

"Yes."

"What were you doing in a place like that?"

"Hey!" Navi yelled. "I was in the middle of a promotion! Why else would I just up and leave Link for seven years?" She came from beneath his cape and Zelda's mouth hung open. Navi was a little more than half the height of a Toad, but she had the bodily proportions of a Hylian. Her light blue aura was dimmed just enough for Zelda tosee the outlines ofherblue body, particularly her limbs. Her center however, was covered in so much light that she could only vaguely see her face. Her wings had lengthened and thinned in proportion to her new form and looked more like those of a very large dragonfly.

Geno held back a chuckle upon seeing the look on Zelda's face and pushed her chin up to close her mouth. "She was in the process of becoming a Great Fairy, so she's a little irritable."

"Do you know how rare it is for one of us to ascend to become a Great Fairy, not to mention skip the Big Fairy rank?"

"Let's go," Geno said, walking out. "We have a princess to save."

"O-okay," Zelda stammered.

"Hey," Navi said, flying up and grabbing her shoulder. Zelda had to squint because of the intense light.

"Yes, what is it?"

"I have a present for you from the Great Fairy of the Depths," Navi smiled. "Hold up your hands." Zelda raised her hands and an arrow with a black crystal on the arrowhead floated in her hands. "You got the Dark Arrow! The darkness will consume all…Wait a minute… Purity and light shall be smitten?"

"Why would she give me something like this?" Zelda asked, putting away the Dark Arrow.

"Maybe it's a Dark Fairy thing… Anyway, hold up your hands again. I have something from the Shining Fairy… Please be Light Arrows."

"Please be Light Arrows…" Zelda whispered to herself as well. An arrowhead was piercing a yellow crystal.

"You got the…Light Arrow!" Navi cheered. "The light of justice will smite evil! That's much better."

"Thank you," Zelda said, putting it away. "Now, let's go save Peach and destroy Ganondorf!"

* * *

Ingrid and Nabooru were fighting nearly alone. They had insisted that Rita leave at once, so a few Zoras escorted her back up the river. The archers across the river could do little more than attempt to fight the seemingly endless tide of metal monsters. Nearly everyone had been killed and destroyed beyond usefulness for Ingrid. Nabooru could only borrow their souls and hope to be able to put them to good use. She had given Ingrid her other charged sword, but they were both tiring out. The five giant robots had done most of the damage with their explosive rounds. They cast a shadow over the battlefield, blocking the morning sun. At some point, they would get too close to dodge their stomping feet. 

"Nabooru," Ingrid said, crushing enemies with her psychic blast. "Do you think you will be able to disable those giants?"

"I'd need all the souls in Hyrule just to have a chance against _one_," Nabooru said, impaling a Titanium Knuckle and chopping its head off. "I'm already taking up the spirits of rocks and plants. Zelda's already gotten inside. Maybe we should back off now?"

"Back off where?" Ingrid asked. "We're surrounded, remember? And I don't know any warp songs."

"Well isn't this a load of _kagada_!" Nabooru cursed. Suddenly, the sky filled with balls of differently colored light. "Fairies!"

The fairies swarmed down onto the battlefield, seeming to squeeze through some unknown force at the gate. The sheer amount of holy fairy energy was enough to burn through the metal monsters. Another black tear appeared before the five giants and the Great Fairy of the Depths came out of it. A white tear appeared beside her and the Shining Fairy came out. They both grew to gigantic proportions and began to combat the giant mechs. As all five prepared to fire, they grabbed the Big Knuckles and pointed them at the Mecha Koopas and Mecha Bowser. They all ended up blasting each other. It was then a simple task of the sibling elite fairies blasting them with alltheir dark and light energy. Twilight filled the sky as they unleashed the entirety of theirpower upon the mechs. The destroyed hulks of machinery fell over with thunderous crash. The two fairies sighedof exhaustion and relief, disappearing back into their portals.

Ingrid and Nabooru could feel themselves being rejuvenated as the fierce fairies swirled around them. They sealed all the black tears and continued to break apart the remaining machines. More Great Fairies of Hyrule began to appearand assistin the battle.

"Ms. Ingrid!" Malon called, riding Epona up to her.

"The battle is just about won," Ingrid said. "The fairies are making short work of these machines."

"I think it's safe for you to do your thing," Nabooru said, releasing the souls of the dead soldiers. Then, all three of them had a simultaneous epiphany.

* * *

Zelda stopped in mid-sprint and looked into the sky wide-eyed. 

"Zelda," Geno said, turning back to her. "Is something wrong?"

"I've seen this before," Navi said, flying around him. "She's awakening as a Sage."

"Everything is almost in place," Zelda said, coming back to her senses. She looked over the hills and to the castle.


	23. The Power of Courage

**The Power of Courage**

Zelda led Geno and Navi into the castle through the main door by the late afternoon. It was fairly obvious that something was keeping the others from catching up to them. It had been hours since Zelda left the battlefield. They all looked about suspiciously, sensing something nearby, but seeing nothing. The castle looked nearly the same as it had months ago. The damage had been fixed and there were only slight design changes. There were many more candles standing about the main hall. Some of the doors had a more gothic look. There were plenty of poorly lit areas, but the walls were still made of light gray stone.

"Do you get the feeling we're being watched?" Navi asked, floating across the lobby and back.

"Yes," Zelda said. "I sense something right over there." Suddenly a door opened and quickly shut. "Follow it!" They all gave chase and ran through the door. They ran through another door that had slammed shut. Soon, they were running up several spires of stairs. It was odd that there was absolutely no resistance. There weren't even Keese flying about. The atmosphere grew thick with evil. There was less and less light as they ran up the stairs. It soon got to the point that there was virtually no light except for Navi's.

"What is at the top of these stairs?" Geno asked.

"Records, storage, and other miscellaneous things," Zelda said. "Though knowing Ganondorf, he'll probably use it for something more important."

"What worries me is the lack of security," Geno said.

"Link had it way tougher than this," Navi said, keeping pace with them. "There were specialized barriers, dungeons, and monsters creeping everywhere. But I guess that was because he had seven years to set it up."

"Ganondorf is sick, not stupid," Zelda said. "He won't let us just walk in here without something up his sleeve."

"He probably wanted to see you alone," Geno said. "Otherwise, the fairies should have caught up by now. But I guarantee you, I'll be sticking by you this time."

"If worst comes to worst," Zelda smirked under her veil, "I already have a secret weapon to use on him." Zelda began to notice the landmarks she had memorized that signified secret doors. They were nearing the top of the spire. Eventually, they reached a giant black door. She had never seen it in the entire castle before.

"There's something strange about this door…" Navi said suspiciously. Geno removed his Starguns from their holsters as Zelda opened the door. On the other side, there was nothing but black. Navi flew inside as the only source of light. Zelda and Geno stepped inside next and the door shut behind them.

"I've been waiting for you, Zelda," Ganondorf's voice echoed.

"Show yourself," Zelda said, lighting a flame in her hand.

"Look! Over there!" Navi called, seeing two yellow eyes glare at them.

"I see you've brought friends," the King of Evil spoke. "The first ones who haven't tried to kill you, eh?"

"So, it was your doing!" Zelda shouted angrily.

"It was a team effort," he smiled menacingly. "But I don't need anyone to help me now… I have all I need."

"Where is Link?" Navi called.

"Still within my grasp," he chuckled. "It seems you succeeded in restoring his soul to him. It just goes to show that you should never trust an unbalanced fool who spends his days in a windmill… But I no longer have any need for that _boy_."

"Giving up on this insane quest for the Triforce?" Zelda asked.

"Of course not," he said as the crest of the Triforce of Power glowed on the back of his hand. "However, once I have your piece, I will have the power of the gods!"

"It takes three, you fool," Zelda said as her own crest began to glow on the back of her hand.

"I know, ha ha ha!" Ganondorf laughed as his other hand glowed with a second crest.

"…But how?"

"What did you do to Link?" Navi yelled.

"Link was always useless to me," Ganondorf said. "But your other friend was quite valuable." The room became lit, though there were no sources of light at all. Zelda, Geno, and Navi saw Peach lying in a suspended cage. She looked deathly pale, but the serene smile on her face made her seem oblivious to her own state.

"You mean, Peach…?" Zelda began.

"Apparently, Fate made a last minute change," he said, now visibly sitting in an armchair with a black robe over his body. "With Link in the state that he was, I suppose the Divine Ones knew better than to just hand it over. So, instead they gave it to this one. I hear that she certainly earned it, especially when she covered for your weakness."

"That's enough!" Geno shouted, stepping forward. "I have a job to do and you're in my way. Now, surrender peacefully."

"I was warned about you," Ganondorf said, standing up. "I've prepared. No doll is going to stand between me and godhood!"

"I'm not a doll anymore," Geno said sternly, beginning to charge one gun. "I'm an action-figure." He fired his bright blue Geno Beam, which illuminated the entire room. Ganondorf smiled and ripped away his cloak. He was wearing some strange reflective armor that looked almost like glass or crystal. When the beam struck his armor, the energy bounced off and splintered into scattered particles and lesser beams around him.

"I told you I was prepared," he smirked, picking up his black broadsword. He flew straight for Geno and took a huge swipe. Geno blocked with his bare arms to brunt the damage, but was knocked over. Zelda teleported back to put some distance between herself and Ganondorf. She charged her Shining Ray and fired at his head. He smacked it away and charged his own ball of energy before lobbing it at her.

"Use his attack against him!" Navi yelled.

"Ha!" Zelda cried, smacking the orb back at Ganondorf. He smacked it back and she repeated. Geno shot off his Starguns, but their stars merely bounced off the armor. As Zelda and Ganondorf continued to bat the orb back and forth, Ganondorf drew closer. Zelda, on the other hand, was backing away.

"In the alternate time," he laughed, smacking the orb, "would you believe I actually underestimated the power of Courage? You may have Wisdom, but you have no strength and you have no spine!" When Zelda sent the orb back, he smacked it hard with his sword and she was blown against the wall.

"Ugh!" Zelda grunted, rolling to her feet. She gathered a few needles and tossed them at his face. He expertly grabbed them out of the air and flung them back. She raised her arms and felt the sharp metal dig into them. She rolled out of the way again as Ganondorf swung at her with his sword. He strafed to the side with his sword held out, grinding it along the wall as Zelda ducked. When he stabbed at her, she jumped onto the sword and kicked off of his face.

"You little!" he groaned as she jumped back against the wall. She kicked off the wall and punched him straight in the nose before landing behind him. When he spun around with his sword, she back-flipped away and Geno leapt up to him with a Rocket Punch. He smacked the fists away but was caught in the barrage of elbow-launched bullets.

"Don't underestimate us," Geno said, locking his hands back into his arms.

"You have Courage and Power, but we have heart," Navi said, flitting around Ganondorf's head.

"Child's play. Agggh!" Ganondorf grunted, ignoring the fairy. The room darkened and a large ball of energy formed above him. Dark energy seeped into it from all around, forcing Navi to move away. "Take this!" he fired a flurry of beams that streamed straight for Geno and Zelda. Zelda put her shield up, while Geno ducked behind her.

"Navi," Zelda whispered. "See if you can help Peach. She's not looking very good."

"Right," she said, perhaps winking. She whizzed over to Peach, while Ganondorf charged another beam. Geno used his Geno Beam to disperse the energy and cause a miniature explosion above him.

"Now, Zelda!" Geno said.

Zelda took out her bow and arrow and loaded a light arrow. She launched the glowing projectile straight into the cloudy area around Ganondorf. As soon as the arrow struck, the cloud was blown away. The arrow was easily deflected. The energy it had carried, however, only bounced away after the immediate strike before surging back at him.

"Uaaagh!" Ganondorf grunted as the light enveloped him. Then, to Geno and Zelda's surprise, he shook off the light with a spin and began to laugh. "Ha ha ha! You fools! This is Mirror Armor! It's made of the same material use to craft the Mirror Shield. No light can penetrate it. It's so well-crafted, in fact, almost nothing can!"

"I was hoping against that," Geno said and Zelda nodded. He put away his Starguns and outstretched his fingers. Small, black pellets shot out to Ganondorf, but they merely bounced off of his armor.

"Don't tell me that's all you've got!" Ganondorf laughed, tossing an energy ball at them again. Zelda tossed more needles at his face. He merely held up his gauntlets, and the annoying weapons bounced off harmlessly. He smiled and flew straight toward them. Geno and Zelda moved away from one another to get Ganondorf in the middle. He went after Zelda again.

"Your overconfidence will be your downfall," she said calmly, backing away. She looked to the ceiling and closed her eyes. That part of the ceiling collapsed onto Ganondorf, though he asserted himself, making his dark aura blow the heavy stones across the room. He immediately slammed down a vertical strike with his sword. Zelda sidestepped it and grabbed onto him with her arms and legs.

"What!" Ganondorf exclaimed, as she held on tight. She suddenly disappeared as Ganondorf noticed a yellow glow coming from behind him. He turned just as an energy saw from the Geno Whirl struck him. Geno frowned as the buzzsaw shattered on contact. Ganondorf flew at him, but was struck from behind by another blast of light. Unfortunately, Zelda's Shining Ray simply bounced off of him as nearly every other attack had.

"Hit him high!" Zelda called, charging her ray again. Geno charged his beam. Ganondorf smirked as Geno shot at his head, while Zelda shot at his legs. He spun in place and redirected the attacks. The Geno Beam plowed into Zelda. The Shining Ray bowled over Geno. Ganondorf flew for Zelda, while firing off another blast at Geno. Geno hopped to his feet and dived away from the blast. Zelda rolled out of the way of Ganondorf's strikes. She did a handstand and spun into a whirling kick. Ganondorf caught one leg and slammed her against the floor, before flying his fist at her with dark energy. She was knocked into the air, covered in dark flames. He leapt up and grabbed onto her shoulders, electrocuting her.

"Ha!" he grunted, blasting her away with dark energy and landing on his feet. When Geno attempted his elbow shot, he flew directly at the living doll and punched him away. Just as he was about to blast him, Zelda, now without her veil, tackled him and attempted to drive her dagger into his throat. He grabbed her arm to stop her and blasted her across the floor with the other hand. He picked up his sword and slammed it into the ground, sending a wave of dark energy at her. She was knocked about further. He felt more shots bouncing off his armor and turned to see Geno unloading into him. Ganondorf floated toward Zelda, who was still down. Zelda attempted to stab his leg, but he rose higher and came crashing onto her with his feet with shocking force.

"Ugha!" Zelda gasped, feeling at least a few of her ribs shattering. The floor had cracked all around her. She was really starting to miss Peach's healing ability now. She turned her head and saw Navi attempting to rouse Peach, but seem to be having little success. Then, she spotted Geno transforming into a canon. She knew to close her eyes.

"What's the matter, little girl?" Ganondorf said, picking her up by her throat. "Realizing that you don't stand a chance?" He noticed a strange noise and bright glow. He turned and saw a globule of light slowly approaching him. "This is just pathetic… What's this?" Suddenly, the globule increased exponentially and it began to flash with blinding intensity. It popped soon afterward, though the damage it had done was devastating.

"This is bad," Geno cringed upon reforming. Somehow, the Mirror Armor had completely reflected his Geno Flash. He knew this because his entire side of the room had been almost completely destroyed, while Ganondorf's side looked nearly untouched. The wall behind Geno was no longer there. Instead, there was only a dark sky. Navi flew over to him frantically.

"We're running out of time!" she exclaimed. "Whatever they did to Peach is killing her. She's getting cold and pale and…she's dying! It's not even the usual kind of death. I can't even give her my energy! It's like some kind of absolute death poison or something."

"Actually," Ganondorf said, squeezing Zelda's throat, "It's based on the same thing the Sage of Death used so effectively. It's just been modified to counter certain…healing aspects. I must say, though, I'm impressed that she's lasted this long. That stuff isn't fit for a ReDead, yet she seems to have at least some resistance to it. It's a shame she'll never wake up to hear about it, eh Zelda?"

"Got to hell!" Zelda shouted, kicking him in the groin.

"Oooh!" he moaned, doubling over and releasing her. She quickly drove her dagger into his back, or at least she meant to. Her dagger deflected off of his armor. He wasted no time in driving his fist into her stomach. She fell to the floor and he stomped on her back. When he heard a whirring noise, he turned and ducked just as the Geno Whirl buzzed over his head. "That trick again?" He heard a banging noise behind himself and saw Peach's cage fall to the floor. He was distracted long enough for Zelda to get away from him. Ganondorf saw Geno dashing straight for him. He swung his sword, but Geno simply jumped over him and dashed to Zelda.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Not as long as he stands," she said, holding her aching chest and stomach.

"You said you had a secret weapon, didn't you?" he asked.

"I think now is the time to use it," she nodded. "Hold him off while I perform the summoning."

"Summoning?" Geno asked, looking surprised.

Zelda materialized the Fierce Deity Mask in her hand. "The summoning of Oni. My mother told me all about it if I should ever find it again."

"What!" he exclaimed.

"What are you muttering to each other about?" Ganondorf asked as a strong wind blew from his aura.

"Don't you dare summon him!" Geno said sternly.

"He's not evil," Zelda argued.

"And Ganondorf is the happy-go-lucky sort," he said, attempting to snatch the mask away. "Seriously, Zelda! You don't know what that mask carries! There's a reason why Oni was sealed away!"

"Because Hylians feared his dark power," Zelda said in a calmer tone, keeping the mask away from him. "They did not understand him, so they were afraid. But the Sheikah knew better. I'm sure he'll work with us."

"You're trying to control a god, Zelda," Geno said, noticing that Ganondorf was steadily walking toward them. "Just like him…"

"Not like him," Zelda said. "I'm doing this for a good reason. Our attacks are useless against him. If Link can wear the mask and work with Oni, why can't I even ask for help?"

"Because only a strong Hylian heart can control a Dark God of the Sheikah," Geno said, pointing his gun at her. "I don't want to do this, Zelda, but I'm obligated to prevent anything like that from getting loose. I consider you a friend and an ally, but I will do my duty, just as the Sheikah did theirs…by making sure that mask is lost into oblivion. As the Sage of Time, the Princess of Hyrule…as holder and protector of the Sacred Triangles of this world, you must not free Oni from his mask. Please, just do your duty so I may do mine."

"That I will," she nodded. She held out the mask for him. As he reached for it, she kicked the gun out of his hand and pinned him against the floor.

"What's this now?" Ganondorf asked, only a couple meters away. "Internal conflict, eh? Let me help you settle it…" He began to charge another large orb that sucked energy from the shadows around the room.

"Don't do this, Zelda!" Geno yelled.

"Forgive me," she said, holding up the Fierce Deity Mask. "Fierce Deity of the Mask, I Zelda, daughter of Ingrid of the Shadow Folk call upon you."

"Fierce Deity?" Ganondorf said inquisitively. There was a flash of thunder from outside.

"Dark God of the Sheikah, I pray you defeat this man who has perverted the darkness and affronted the shadows. He is an enemy of the Darkness _and_ an enemy of the Light."

"Zelda!" Geno shouted, as more thunderclaps boomed outside.

"I summon you Fierce Deity, Oni," she said stoically as their surroundings became completely dark. The mask, surrounded in a blue light, floated out of her hands and the Fierce Deity appeared. He was nearly as tall as Ganondorf and looked very much like Link. He wore a very light blue tunic with black tights and armor on his torso. One side had a golden crescent moon, while the other side simply had a golden triangle. His hair was white as were his eyes, and he had war paint on his face. He had a blank, but menacing stare. He turned his gaze to Ganondorf and his eyes glowed with intensity as the light returned.


	24. Bargain With the Fierce Deity

**Bargain With the Fierce Deity**

Ganondorf looked at this new person suspiciously. It seemed more like some alternate version of Link rather than a god.

"You hold two pieces of the Triforce," Oni spoke, sounding like an emotionless version of Link. "Consider your life at an end. If you give me but one triangle, I will spare your soul at the very least."

"What?" Zelda exclaimed. "Don't bargain with him!"

"I don't know who you think you are," Ganondorf said, holding the energy ball in the air. "But I don't take kindly to threats!" The ball split into several blasts of energy that all surged toward Oni. The god stood there as they all exploded onto him.

"A poor choice," Oni said, clearing the smoke with his aura. The room darkened as he materialized the Double-Helix Sword. With one slice through the air, a disk of energy blazed toward Ganondorf. It bounced off of his armor, but sent Ganondorf flying backward. Oni disappeared and reappeared on the other side of the room in the air. He spun his sword straight down at Ganondorf and smashed him through the floor. Oni raised his sword with one arm and swung it downward, sending another disk of energy down into the hole.

"Uagh!" Ganondorf's pained voice sounded. Ganondorf burst through the floor behind Zelda and grabbed her. "Stay back or she dies!" Geno already had his guns aimed at Ganondorf, but could do nothing more. Oni, however, floated closer.

"This is why you did not receive the Triforce of Courage," Oni spoke.

"Silence!" Ganondorf held his arm tightly around Zelda's neck and lobbed an energy orb at Oni. Oni caught the ball with one hand and absorbed its power. Oni raised his sword in a stabbing stance with both hands. He flew straight at them, despite Zelda being in the way. Ganondorf pushed her in the way and flew back. Oni phased through Zelda harmlessly and pressed the point of his sword into Ganondorf's abdomen, cracking his armor, but not breaking it. He pushed him all the way through the wall and sent another energy disk at him. Ganondorf dodged the projectile and sent a flying punch into Oni's jaw, sending the god flying across the room and sliding along the floor.

"Some god," Ganondorf sneered, clutching his throbbing fist. "Now die!" He charged his energy and both crests glowed on his hands. Then, he threw dozens of beams into the downed god, eventually causing the floor to cave in beneath Oni, Zelda, and Geno. "Ha ha ha ha ha!" he laughed as the collapse caused the entire spire to crumble beneath him. "You're a poor excuse for a Fierce Deity!"

"_Your armor is crafted beyond mortal skill,"_ Oni's voice echoed. "_But your soul is poor. Greed and bitterness have brought you your downfall."_

"Shut…up!" Ganondorf screamed, creating a giant ball of energy and tossing it down to the smoky remains of the spire. Oni, looking completely unharmed, flew out of the ruins and bypassed the projectile. He went into a spin-slash to smash Ganondorf higher into the air, cracking his armor even more. He teleported above the Gerudo and swung his sword like a baseball bat, sending him over the castle. He teleported again, but far enough to pour his energy into his sword and cause it to glow first blue, then purple, and finally black.

"Seyah!" Oni yelled, bashing his empowered weapon into the Evil King. The armor shattered like glass and Ganondorf was sent rocketing down into his own massive energy attack. There was a great explosion of energy and Ganondorf could be seen spiraling limply to the ruins. He landed with a thud. Oni snapped his fingers and Geno and Zelda dropped out of thin air and next to Ganondorf. The Evil King clawed at the gravel and began to tap his wrist as if there were buttons on it. Oni dropped out of the sky, aiming to behead him with a final plunge of his sword.

"I'll be back," Ganondorf groaned, glaring at Zelda and Geno. Suddenly, the Zelda-look-alike appeared. She glanced at Zelda with a smirk and helped Ganondorf up. Zelda was stunned to see someone who resembled her so precisely, even going as far as to wear her royal dress and silk gloves. The look-alike saw Oni coming down and disappeared promptly with Ganondorf. Oni's sudden halt mere centimeters above the ground caused air to rush all around. The ground cracked and melted beneath him, almost instantly turning into a small crater. His sword was in black flames and his eyebrows were arched. He frowned and planted his feet on the ground calmly. He snapped his fingers and Peach appeared on the ground a short distance away and Navi soon appeared as well.

"What happened?" Navi asked. "Where's Ganondorf?"

"He escaped," Oni spoke, making his sword fade away. "I have failed to carry out your wish, so there will be no pri…"

"Then return to the mask," Geno spoke boldly.

"No, stay," Zelda insisted, frowning at Geno. "We'll need that sort of power. You can fix everything, right?"

"Yes," Oni nodded.

"We don't want to accept help from him," Geno insisted. "His price is too high."

"Price?" Zelda said as if he was speaking absurdly. "He is on our side! Isn't that right?"

"Yes," he nodded again.

"You don't know what he'll do if we use his power!" Geno yelled back.

"That's enough!" Navi screamed, quieting them. "Okay, we all know this guy is powerful, right?"

"Yes," Geno and Zelda agreed.

"Geno, you seem to think he's evil though," Navi said, to which Geno nodded. "Oni?"

"It depends on the current definition of the word," Oni answered. "By the modern standards of this age, I would most likely be considered evil. That is likely why Majora labeled himself the hero, while I would be the villain. He was merely insane, while I…am _merciless_."

"…Okay," Navi said unsurely. "I don't know what to say. Every evil being I've ever come across would never admit to it like that…especially not like that."

"You are a guardian, are you not?" Oni asked Geno.

"Yes," Geno said. "It is my duty to protect the Star Road."

"I see," Oni said, glancing over at Peach. "Seeing as you all are having a disagreement and your friend's time is fading, I will give Zelda three choices."

"Why are you only consulting her?" Geno asked suspiciously. "Is it because she doesn't know any better?"

"Calm yourself, Officer," Oni said, looking down on the living toy. "I choose to consult her because she is the daughter of my only remaining servant. Ingrid has remained true to my ancient laws despite ridicule by the Hylians and her fellow Sheikah. Her status as a warrior is unsurpassed, yet her story remains tragic. The ancient ones who followed my laws in life have passed on to Heaven, Hell, and otherwise. She is the last. At the very least, I owe her next of kin, who deemed me worthy of summoning, the chance to decide the fate of this world and others. Is that satisfactory, Officer?"

"State her options," Geno answered bitterly, turning away from him broodingly.

"The first will appeal to you most," Oni spoke. "I will simply return to the mask, thus returning to obscurity and oblivion. You will have a difficult quest to complete on your own...but there will be no repercussions from me."

"You'd be willing to do that?" Navi asked. "Why?"

"My ancient laws are just that: ancient," he answered. "I am an outdated god who has little place in the modern world. And as the guardian stated previously, the price for my service is steep. I am fierce, but I am also fair. I guarantee you that few people will be happy with the second choice."

"Which is?" Navi asked.

"I will fix everything," he said. "I will travel into whatever world I need to in order to annihilate all that has corrupted the rightful order of things. I will destroy Ganondorf, his accomplices, his minions, and every aspect of his influence. Their souls will not be spared, regardless whether they offer the triangles to me or not. I will make them literally cease to exist, be it in this world or the next."

"That sounds…perfect," Zelda said, confused. "Everything will be returned to peace again and…"

"Tell her the cost," Geno said, still with his back to them.

"All will submit to my will," Oni said, still in his emotionless voice. "The Age of Darkness will truly begin. All servants and beings of Light will be destroyed. Everyone will have no choice but to accept my laws. Essentially, Ingrid's personality and virtues will be commonplace. Every man, woman, and child will be trained to kill without mercy and without feeling for their prey. It will not necessarily be a world of war, but rather...a world of warriors."

"And the daylight will be replaced with eternal night?" Navi asked fearfully.

"Of course not," Oni chuckled slightly, catching everyone off guard. "That would be just plain silly. The beauty of darkness cannot be fully appreciated without the pale, blinding, urine-stained hue of light." His eyes narrowed upon mentioning light. "Furthermore, nearly every creature under Farore's creation relies upon at least some form of light. I want to purify the world, not kill it."

"And the Goddesses will tolerate this?" Geno asked.

"We have an awkward relationship at best, but we are _not_ enemies. They will not be happy…but they will tolerate it. And I will leave the Star Road untouched, so you have nothing to worry about. I may invest in replacing less significant stars with dark stars, however. The cheery nature of your kind will be purged." He turned to Navi and said, "And most fairies will probably be annihilated."

"That's a hard bargain," Zelda frowned. She glanced at Peach. "But at least there will be peace. Peach… She will be safe, won't she?"

"I'm sorry," Oni said, looking back toward Peach. "I neglected to mention her fate. In both the first and second choice, she will die."

"What!"

"The first choice is my inaction," he said. "No power or magic short of divine might will cure her. It need not be a powerful god, but it would require at least a lesser divinity. I'm afraid that even the most powerful Great Fairies would only prolong her life rather than cure her, since they are holy, but not divine. The poison that slowly kills her is made of an essence that exactly opposes, counters, and overwhelms her own. In many ways, it is similar to her kissing and crippling Link's dark side. Currently, I am the only one capable of curing her in time. If she dies…well, the only person capable of reviving her has long-disappeared. Not even the Sage of Life will be of any use to this cause."

"In the second choice," Zelda said quickly, "won't you cure her?"

"Yes," he said. "However, once I have performed my service, she will be among thebillions who must die. She belongs to the light."

"Can't you make an exception?" Zelda cried.

"No."

"Why not?"

"It is not my way to make unnecessary exceptions," he said. "You would be the only person of the light to be spared. That is because you are half Sheikah, thus half dark, and you are my summoner."

"Then, how can I save Peach?" Zelda asked frantically.

"What about the third choice?" Navi asked.

"I will cure Peach and leave you to your quest," he said. "I will retire from this plane of existence, just as in the first choice."

"The price?" Geno asked, turning to face him.

"She will act as a sacrifice for a future investment," he said ominously.

"Why? Can't you sacrifice someone else?" Zelda asked.

"That would be bothersome. You see, the sacrifice must be pure of heart. There is no one in this world with a purer heart than hers."

"What about her world?" Zelda asked. "Surely a land as colorful and insipid as hers would have a soul as pure as hers."

"Only one," Geno said, looking at the ground. "Purer in fact."

"The Wanderer," Oni said.

"Peach's mother?" Zelda said, cursing her horrible luck.

"I currently do not have access to her at all," Oni said. "By the time she will be accessible, you will have made your decision."

"Then…use Peach's mother," Zelda said, shaking her head in disbelief at what she was saying.

"I cannot," Oni said. "There is a chance that I will never have access to her. That is unacceptable."

"I don't know what to do…" Zelda said, sinking to her knees. "Geno?"

"It's out of my hands, Zelda," he said. "If the Star Road is safe, then I have no jurisdiction. My duty draws me to pick the second choice since it will fix the Star Road… but I value Peach's relative safety in the third."

"What kind of sacrifice is it?" Navi asked.

"I will set events in motion to have her become the vessel of a certain associate of mine," Oni spoke cryptically. "Peach will have freedom until the late springtime of her kingdom. A thousand-year seal will end and a powerful demon of shadow will take her as her new body. Her entire world will plummet into darkness…including the downfall of the Star Road. Hyrule's will follow suit soon after. Darkness…will consume all." Geno frowned and Zelda sighed.

"Can't you make any changes?" Navi asked.

"No. However, the price of the last choice assumes that she will survive that long. If she does not, then I will have to settle for the next best specimen, which can be found in her world. Furthermore, if you should reach the end of your quest in success, there is a chance that she will have a savior."

"Mario," Geno spoke. "He is in the Dark World now."

"Without his soul," Oni spoke, walking to a particularly large slab of stone. He lifted it with ease. There lay the crushed, but life-like statue of the Happy Mask Salesmen wearing a now broken Stone Mask. Oni took his sack and picked off a particular mask. He tossed it to Geno and walked back.

"A Mario mask," Geno said.

"It contains his soul," Oni spoke. "If I save Peach, there is a chance that he will save her. Legends spoke of a man wearing a red cap with that insignia who would save the same princess from the same evil for ages. A near endless cycle, assuming he succeeds."

"He will," Geno said, as the insignia of the Spirit Medallion appeared beneath Zelda. He tossed it as her feet and the mask dissolved into sparkles. Strangely, the image and sound of a "1-Up!" floated out of the sparkles and disappeared. Mario's soul was freed.

"What will it be, Zelda?" Oni said, making Peach's body float to them. "That day you were walking to the Shadow Barrier around Kakariko Village, you asked if you would be willing to make the same sacrifice Peach had. I heard you say that she sacrificed herself and her kingdom to save your life. You were not sure if you would do the same for her. You are now presented with a situation that allows you to save her, if only for a short time, while risking everything. I'd suggest that you make your choice within…two minutes." Zelda looked down and went into thought.

"What do you two think?" Zelda asked desperately. Navi and Geno did not seem to have a much easier time deciding.

"…The third choice," Navi said. "It gives us the best chance of fixing everything without the bad parts of the second choice. I won't survive in the second choice anyway…"

"Geno?" Zelda asked.

His frown turned into a grim smile. "Save Peach. She's gotten us this far. It may put the Star Road and myself in danger, but...she's still my friend."

"Thank you," Zelda sighed of relief. "Oni, we've made our decision. Peach is too important to us. Even if it's only for a while, we want her back."

"So it is said," Oni spoke, reforming his sword. "So it shall be."

"What are you going to do with that?" Navi asked.

"The poison is of a dark element that has buried itself within her core," Oni said. "Since I am of the same stuff, my cure will cause her extreme pain no matter how I do it. At the very least, this method will work the quickest since it will pierce her core."

"When you say 'extreme pain,' how extreme do you mean?" Zelda asked squeamishly.

"I'll bet she did not take very well to the Shadow Temple, did she?" Oni said, setting his sights on her stomach.

"No…" Zelda said worriedly.

"I estimate that it will be twenty times worse than the Shadow Temple, Black Mist, and the feeling a corrupted Sage feels upon being healed, all combined," he said. "It is a pain that would make even Ingrid flinch.You might want to avert your eyes." Zelda, Navi, and Geno all turned the other way and walked some distance away.

Oni plunged his sword into her and her eyes shot open. Her shrill scream was deafening. The energy of the sword poured into her convulsing body, causing her to glow blue. She grabbed onto the blade to remove it, but Oni held it there effortlessly. Zelda felt like ripping her ears off from all the noise. Then, it abruptly stopped.

"It is done," Oni spoke, holding his bloodied sword. They saw Peach lying there on the ground with a smoking, bloody hole in her stomach. It quickly closed up, but Peach was obviously still in discomfort and clearly unconscious.

"Will she be okay?" Navi asked.

"She will experience internal bleeding and shock for some time," he said, beginning to fade away. "Her powers will also be nullified for a while." He waved his hand and Zelda suddenly felt all her wounds heal.

"Thank you," she said.

He smiled and said, "When you see your mother again, tell her to loosen up. There is no more need to follow outdated doctrines anymore."

"I will," Zelda nodded as he completely disappeared.

"I think that was enough excitement for one day," Geno said, hefting Peach over his shoulder. The dark cloud around the castle faded and gave way to the clear evening sky. Soon, the fairies swarmed around the castle to meet them. Navi flew into the cloud of lights.

"We'll catch up later," she called to Zelda and Geno.

"Hey!"

"Look!"

"Listen!"

"There!"

"Hi!" The air was filled with small, chattering voices.

"Talkative bunch, aren't they?" Zelda smiled, beginning to walk back toward town.

"Tell me about it," Geno chuckled.

"Yeah," Zelda giggled. Then, her smile became slightly saddened. "Are we going back to the Mushroom World?"

"Hyrule has been cleansed for now," Geno said. "You're free to stay here. But I was hoping that you would come back with us to finish this. I have a feeling we might be dealing with something more than Bowser and Ganondorf. Oni's…associate…may well be the culprit. Will you join us?"

"Gladly," Zelda said.

"I'll brief you on the current situation later," he said. "First though, I need to consult the higher-ups. We'll have to make a pit stop to get to the Mushroom Kingdom. After we rest up, it's back to the Temple of Time."

"_Zelda,"_ Ingrid's voice sounded.

"Mother?"

"_I'm very proud of you," _Ingrid said, trying to sound more expressive. "_You've done me a great honor to see my god in action. I have faith that you will solve our troubles…"_

"So…you aren't disappointed in me?" Zelda asked hopefully.

"_Of course I'm disappointed in you,"_ Ingrid said warmly. The fact that there was no humor in her voice really spoiled the moment. "_However, it is not your fault for being conceived, raised in royalty, and…"_

"_That's enough out of you,"_ Malon's voice said. "_What she means is that we're all happy that you've done all of this. We still have some work to do in Hyrule, rooting out other evils and stuff."_

"_Like the witches,"_ Nabooru said. "_I forgot to hold onto their souls. But I do have some great news. Link's soul has rejoined his body. He's in the Dark World, but at least we know he's okay."_

Ingrid spoke, "_We have reached the Chamber of Sages in the Temple of Light. Rauru is dead, but he is still able to help us. We can go no further in this world, but we will join you when we can. Hyrule pledges its allegiance to the Mushroom Kingdom. Every dead soul under my command also vows to help Peach when the time comes."_

"Your assistance is greatly appreciated," Geno said.

"_And Zelda,"_ Malon said. "_Remember that no matter what, I'll always love you…"_

"You will always be in my heart, Malon," Zelda smiled, blushing slightly. "Mother, you heard Oni's words about you, right?"

"…_I will try to express my feelings to the best of my ability. I love you."_

"I love you too, Mother."

_Notes:_ And that's the end of Sage Revival. I hope you enjoyed this dark little sequel. The third and finalsaga to Princess to Princess will be coming soon.Secrets will be revealed. Truths will be told.Questions will be answered or conveniently left as plotholes for you to bug me about. (Seriously, bug me aboutany ASAP so I don't mess up too badly.) Expect "Her Shining Majesty" to show up in the Mario section of this site. Or just check my pen name.


End file.
